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RV 'A' series lower cowl installation

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recapen(at)earthlink.net
Guest

Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 8:09 am Post subject: RV 'A' series lower cowl installation

I have my upper cowl pretty much trimmed the way that I want it and am looking to start working on the lower cowl half.



I have been contemplating doing this installation with the nose gear leg removed...for a number of reasons:



1.  Ease of doing the installation.  Remembering how many times the top came off and on during its fitting - I can see that sliding this thing out and under the three blade prop will be a RPITA.



2.  Working on one variable at a time.  I'll be having enough fun trimming the aft end and sides without having to worry about the nose gear slot at the same time.



3.  If there are any differences between ground operations and flying operations (there shouldn't be), I want the flying configuration to take priority.



My thinking of how to do it involves:



Weighting down the tail end so it is resting on a support.

Safety strapping around the prop - not lifting, just there in case.

Remove nose gear.

Fit the lower cowl per instructions (pretty much as if it were a tailweel airplane).

When I'm done for the day, put the nosegear back on for safety reasons.



After the lower cowl is fitted and the cam-locs/hinges are installed, I can work on the nosegear slot as a seperate operation.



If you've been there, done that...your thoughts, please!

If you're thinking 'he forgot about...' then tell me!

If you think I'm on the right track, let me know - it'll reinforce the educational part of why the FAA says we can do this!



Thanks,

Ralph Capen

Terry Watson

Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 290
Location: Seattle, WA USA

Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 9:29 am Post subject: RV 'A' series lower cowl installation

Ralph,



I think your idea of removing the nose gear during the fitting of the lower

cowl is a good one, but I would suggest you also remove that 3 bladed prop.

Van's has a detail of how to set a spacer to locate the prop spinner so you

can fit the cowl without having the prop in the way. 



Another suggestion is to take a little time to build some sort of cart that

holds the lower cowl close to the proper height so you can roll it in and

out as you work on the fit. My guess is that it is going to be necessary

anyway after you are finished to remove the lower cowl by yourself. Mine is

a rough plywood box with casters on the bottom and the top contoured to the

shape of the cowl with foam pipe insulation as padding. It works a lot

better than it looks. 



Terry

RV-8A in work

Seattle

--

sfarner(at)gmail.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 10:00 am Post subject: RV 'A' series lower cowl installation

I would not trust the spacer measurement given by Van's in the plans

(ask me how I know). It might be a pain having the prop on, but you

will have an accurate placement of the spinner bulkhead. At the very

least you could measure with the prop on and get the spacer length

from that.



Scott

RV-7A N653S

210 hours



On 7/30/07, Terry Watson <terry(at)tcwatson.com> wrote:

[quote] 



 Ralph,



 I think your idea of removing the nose gear during the fitting of the lower

 cowl is a good one, but I would suggest you also remove that 3 bladed prop.

 Van's has a detail of how to set a spacer to locate the prop spinner so you

 can fit the cowl without having the prop in the way.



 Another suggestion is to take a little time to build some sort of cart that

 holds the lower cowl close to the proper height so you can roll it in and

 out as you work on the fit. My guess is that it is going to be necessary

 anyway after you are finished to remove the lower cowl by yourself. Mine is

 a rough plywood box with casters on the bottom and the top contoured to the

 shape of the cowl with foam pipe insulation as padding. It works a lot

 better than it looks.



 Terry

 RV-8A in work

 Seattle

 --

recapen(at)earthlink.net
Guest

Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 11:16 am Post subject: RV 'A' series lower cowl installation

Thanks for the suggestion about the cart...I don't know about the prop though...I recall reading something that with a constant speed prop you have to have it on - makes sense to me since the backing plate is part of the hub.  I'll do some more research though - it might make it easier if I can still get the accuracy.



--

recapen(at)earthlink.net
Guest

Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 11:18 am Post subject: RV 'A' series lower cowl installation

Measuring for a replication spacer might be the way to go.



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Ted French

Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 54
Location: Kelowna BC Canada

Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 12:41 pm Post subject: RV 'A' series lower cowl installation

I fit the lower cowl and the upper cowm in place with the prop and the nose gear off. The MT website has a detail dwg of the prop, and from that you can get the spacer size required. See http://www.mt-propeller.com/en/entw/operation.htm



I  made a round wooden spacer for the hole in the cowl and overlapped some strips on the fromt for the cowl to butt againts. I also offset it a bit so the spinner was a bit high so it would settle in over time to alignment.



Worked for me.....



Do Not Archive



Ted French C-FXCS 

RV-10  Flying

--

_________________
Ted French
RV-10 fuselage

jim jewell

Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 82
Location: Kelowna B.C. Canada

Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 9:23 pm Post subject: RV 'A' series lower cowl installation

Hi Ralph,



My 6-a cowl came in two parts that required being fibreglassed together.

I often wish I had made the lower inlet snorkel section a removable piece 

held on with screws and nut plates.

I doubt however that I would try to make such a modification the newer 

single piece epoxy glass lower cowl.



I have a two blade C/S prop and find it hard to imagine getting the lower 

cowl on with that third blade in the way.



If you have a prop shop or an airport near by you might find a bare hub 

without blades the can be borrowed to use during the cowl fitting process. 

Maybe someone on the list could locate one for you.



If at all possible, wait until the very last buy that prop. Before you know 

it the overhaul period shows up and the bank account takes another hit.



If you don't know what I mean ...Don't ask{



Jim in Kelowna



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_________________
"I never make mistreaks"

recapen(at)earthlink.net
Guest

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 4:42 am Post subject: RV 'A' series lower cowl installation

Jim,



Good advice - too late for me though...already have the prop - already had it 'rebuilt'....actually, I had the wrong (short) hub so they rebuilt it while it was getting the correct hub put on it.



My cowl has a one-piece lower section - and I'll be making a fiberglass 'plate' to cover the extended slot for the nose gear leg.  Yes, I'll be attaching that with screws, tinnerman washers, and nutplates.



Ralph



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Dale Ensing

Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 571
Location: Aero Plantation Weddington NC

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 6:34 am Post subject: RV 'A' series lower cowl installation

Ralph,

If you use an upper intersection fairing on the nose gear leg, there is no 

need to make a plate to cover the slot.



Fairings - Etc. at http://www.fairings-etc.com/ makes a nice fairing that I 

have on my 6A and would recommend.

Dale Ensing



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_________________
Dale Ensing
RV-6A
Aero Plantation
Weddington NC

recapen(at)earthlink.net
Guest

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 7:10 am Post subject: RV 'A' series lower cowl installation

Dale,



Thanks for the info.  I already have their wing root fairings - mostly installed.  Looks like more of the same high quality.



Do you know how far forward the slot could go and still be covered by this fairing on your installation?  Others with a three blade prop (I have an MT three blade) indicate that the slot needs to be further forward in order to drop the lower cowl enough to get it around the prop.



Thanks,

Ralph



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Dale Ensing

Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 571
Location: Aero Plantation Weddington NC

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 11:44 am Post subject: RV 'A' series lower cowl installation

Ralph,

On my cowl, I measured  9 inches from the from the front edge of the 

fiberglass mounting flair of the top intersection fairing to the front edge 

of the carb air intake port. I did this with a flexible measureing stick on 

the curve of the cowl. Considering there may be some differences in the air 

scoop placement as mine was not attached to the cowl when I got it, you may 

want to give it a least 10 inches and see if that gets you enough slot to 

get the cowl off with the 3 blade prop.

Dale

_________________
Dale Ensing
RV-6A
Aero Plantation
Weddington NC

recapen(at)earthlink.net
Guest

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 11:57 am Post subject: RV 'A' series lower cowl installation

Thanks a bunch!



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