Engine Update January 2009 Updates
January 24, 2009
More cowl work.... - 5.0 hrs

Today I wanted to try to get a better fit of the bottom cowl. At this point the top is pretty close. Still need a larger paint gap on the back edge but the fit is locked in with clecos now.

I removed the bottom and sanded the back edge to get more clearance. You have to do this in baby steps because when you refit things move around a bit. Since it is not fitting good at the bottom I decided to remove the bottom cam strips and scallop them so I could bend the tabs upward to allow the cowl contour to follow the bottom of the fuse better.

After scalloping I bent the tabs slightly in the vise. Reinstalled and it looks better. Next I removed the side strips and cut edges on the end to provide a better fit in the bottom corners. I remarked the rivet holes using the jigs supplied by Milspec.

John H stopped by so we took a lunch break. Then he helped me fit the bottom up again to check fit. Still going to need a bit more sanding but I can tell that as the bottom fit up much better that the fit is getting closer in line to what it should be.



This website was built to document my work in compliance with the FAA requirements needed to certify my aircraft.
My experiences and comments are by no means to be considered as instructions on how to build any aircraft.