REFLECTOR: Cowl Slot

Sat Jun 30 11:35:44 CDT 2007

Welcome, Bud;

If you are referring to the .txt file attachments; they are not photos, just
a little file that gets attached if the message is in HTML or 'Rich Text'
format.  You'll note that the Plain Text messages do not have the
attachment.  Or you probably already knew that.

Best,

Al

-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Bud Williams
Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2007 5:47 AM
To: reflector at tvbf.org
Subject: REFLECTOR: Cowl Slot

To the list in general: hello! My name is Rae Williams (I go by Bud), and I
am "new" to the list. OK, not exactly new...I've been monitoring the list
for several months now, but this is my first posting to the list.

I purchased an XL RG kit from Hannes Raudner several months ago but have yet
to start construction (lots of competing things for my time, most of which
should disappear as I retire from the Air Force and move to Warner Robins,
Ga when my wife is reassigned there in the next two months or so). So while
I haven't been actively building, I at least use my time to read of other
people's projects and study the tapes (which appear to be out of date from
what I can tell from everyone's posts to date).

My first question is in regard to the cowl slot which John Dibble describes.
John (and anyone else out there who has done this mod): do you have an
active web site showing pictures to accompany your description? I suspect
not, since you say you finished your product 10 years ago, but I thought I'd
ask.

The second question is to the list in general. I asked this of the
administrator, but his response was not helpful. The reason I asked for a
web site is because I do not see the attachments that anyone sends along
with their posts. I assume most of the attachments are pictures. I don't
know why this happens: I am on several other lists (I was once contemplating
building an RV), and I receive THEIR pictures with no problems. Does anybody
have a clue what the problem might be? I assumed it was this list itself,
but since no one else complains about it, I guess it isn't. So it must be my
computer, yet I have no problem with other lists and email. If anyone has a
clue as to what I need to do to fix this, I'd sure like to hear it, since I
feel as though I am getting LESS than 50% of y'all's stories, and that is
frustrating to say the least.

So, can anyone out there help?

Bud
-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of reflector-request at tvbf.org
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2007 12:00 PM
To: reflector at tvbf.org
Subject: Reflector Digest, Vol 37, Issue 118

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Today's Topics:

   1.  Project Updates (NMFlyer1 at aol.com)
   2.  Cowl slot (Chuck)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2007 11:18:44 EDT
From: NMFlyer1 at aol.com
Subject: REFLECTOR: Project Updates
To: reflector at tvbf.org
Message-ID: <d67.cd4c717.33b67cd4 at aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Nice to hear the detailed updates! Good details Scott, I'll have to get over

there and take a look pretty soon. 

Here's My update, 

I had a good local shop do the inspection and machine work then I rebuilt
the 
engine. 

The Aluminum 4.3L V-6 is all back together and installed. It ran fine, but I

had some troublesome coolant leaks that took a while to figure out. In the 
end, it seems that the head builders overdrilled the dowel pin locating
holes by 
just a tad. This created a tiny hole (smaller than a paperclip wire) into
the 
coolant passage that leaked very slightly around the head locating dowel pin

and down the side of the block. 

Long story short, all is well again, no leaks!  I have the idle mixture 
dialed in on the Airflow Performance Fuel Injection and the timing is set.
Cranks 
right up and runs well. 
The first couple times I started it I was concerned how loud it was. Once I 
got the idle down and turned the V so that it didn't point the sound right
into 
the hangar (ampitheater), it actually sounds pretty good. Surprising, 
considering I designed the exhaust and have no mufflers (only stainless
cones). 

Next step is to continue running the engine and calibrating the RMI engine 
monitor (the backup set of guages show water & oil temp, oil pressure and 
volts). While I do that I need to make some exit ports in the cowl so that
the prop 
can draw some thru the radiators. 

I wish I had thought of the cowl slot before I went with the piano hinge 
method I did on my cowl. It seems much easier for that front line. Instead I
have 
piano hinges on all the wing roots and front of the upper cowl. 
Perhaps I'll see if I can make a slot for the bottom. After I get the cowl 
finished up I'll install the prop.

Scott:  Do you have a set of scales to weigh your beast? If not, I was 
planning on buying some for my W&B. Let me know, you are welcome to use mine
if I 
aquire them in time for you. 

Kurt 

************************************** See what's free at
http://www.aol.com.
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Message: 2
Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:43:09 -0700
From: "Chuck" <c.harbert at comcast.net>
Subject: REFLECTOR: Cowl slot
To: <reflector at tvbf.org>
Message-ID: <01fe01c7ba64$381f74b0$0401a8c0 at Chuck4300S>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
	reply-type=original

John, you probably already know this, but just for others who wish to do 
this, here's how I did it. I have cowl slots on my plane and it works great 
together with the piano wire attach rods on the wing root. The cowls can be 
removed in less than a minute.

The cowl slot was pretty easy to build. All we did was do the normal cut 
along the dotted line (you'll need to leave a few small areas uncut for 
support which you cut afterwards), and just duct tape the firewall side of 
the cut before you install the 2-3" wide double layer of heavy bid that is 
on the inside of the cowl. After you cut it and pop it off, you trim it down

to about 3/4" extending out to from the cowl piece. Next you put a double 
layer of duct tape the 3/4" extension and put a double layer of bid on the 
firewall side to capture the 3/4" extension.

Be careful to put on enough duct tape to make sure you don't epoxy the to 
pieces together because it's a job to get them apart if you do. Also, I 
didn't make the slot the full 360 degrees because it won't come off unless 
you leave about 6-8" on each side from the centerline on the firewall side. 
The 3/4" cowl flange goes all the way around to seal out water. Don't be 
surprise that you have to sand the flange down to get it to slide easily 
into the slot. The cowls need to tip up slightly to come off. You may also 
need to make a prop blade cutout on the bottom flange to tip it into the 
slot. You should end up with a very tight line between the cowl and 
fuselage.

I think I sent some pics before, but I'll see if I can find some and resend 
them.  I think other people have done this to their V's, so they might have 
better instructions. I did mine 10 yrs ago and don't remember everything 
that well. Good luck.

Chuck H

> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>

> From: John Dibble <aminetech at bluefrog.com>

>
> I'm also interested.  I'm planning on doing the same.  I prefer not to 
> have to redo the firewall, so my plan is just to add a 2" fiberglass strip

> which will adhere 3/4" on the existing flange, leaving 3/4" for the cowl 
> (I'll need to trim 1/4" off the cowl) and 1/2" extending beyond the flange

> to act as a guide when fitting the cowl.
>
> John

> 

------------------------------

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