VansAirForceForums  
Home > VansAirForceForums

- POSTING RULES
- Donate yearly (please).
- Advertise in here!

- Today's Posts | Insert Pics

  #1  
Old 03-02-2010, 08:27 PM
SteveHRV7 SteveHRV7 is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Okemos, Michigan
Posts: 45
Default Cowl Pins

Has anyone installed their cowl pins from inside the cockpit? I just ordered a cowl from Sam James for my 7a and he recommended installing the cowl pin from inside the cockpit to avoid an external cowl pin lock (looks bad) and to prevent the pin inadvertently backing out into the prop. Pictures would be great if you have any. Thanks!
__________________
Steve Houghton
RV7a
Okemos, MI
N807SH
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 03-02-2010, 08:34 PM
Mel's Avatar
Mel Mel is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Dallas area
Posts: 10,768
Default

Dick Flunker inserts his pins from the back. They go into the air intake vents. Works well.

I have mine through the front with no "external locks". I used the original method show on Van's plans back in the 80s. The forward end of the pins snap into the inside cowling inlets. Never had one come out in 17 years.
__________________
Mel Asberry, DAR since the last century.
EAA Flight Advisor/Tech Counselor, Friend of the RV-1
Recipient of Tony Bingelis Award and Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award
USAF Vet, High School E-LSA Project Mentor.
RV-6 Flying since 1993 (sold)
<rvmel(at)icloud.com>
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 03-02-2010, 09:39 PM
Rosie's Avatar
Rosie Rosie is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: I live in on the Rosamond Skypark (CA) and am married to Victoria (Tuppergal).
Posts: 982
Default

A Lockheed Technical Fellow & Design Engineer friend of mine has his such that when you push on the front of the NACA vent, it pivots into the plane and you can reach in & pull the cowl pin. You'd never know from the outside that the NACA vent is spring-loaded Rosie
__________________
Paul A. "Rosie" Rosales
Rosamond Skypark (L00), CA
RV-6A, 4200+ hours since 7/4/2000
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 03-03-2010, 03:09 AM
Brent Colvin's Avatar
Brent Colvin Brent Colvin is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Olney, Texas
Posts: 143
Default Pins

There is a gentleman (can't recall his name) that has a builders assistance shop at Lockhart,TX. He puts his pins inside the NACA vent also. Looks sharp
__________________
Brent Colvin VAF#147
RV 7 0-360 CS Flying
Comm, Multi, Inst.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 03-03-2010, 04:32 AM
Michael White's Avatar
Michael White Michael White is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Cartersville, Georgia KVPC
Posts: 945
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveHRV7 View Post
Has anyone installed their cowl pins from inside the cockpit? I just ordered a cowl from Sam James for my 7a and he recommended installing the cowl pin from inside the cockpit to avoid an external cowl pin lock (looks bad) and to prevent the pin inadvertently backing out into the prop. Pictures would be great if you have any. Thanks!
Steve,
Danny King (here on the forums) has done this on his RV-8. Very slick, and he says it helps with re-installing the cowl as the lower cowl is the first engaged by the pins when they slide in from the rear. You can PM him here on the forums. I'm sure he can provide pictures and descriptions.

Best,
__________________
Moose
VAF #136
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 03-03-2010, 04:53 AM
Capflyer's Avatar
Capflyer Capflyer is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,082
Default Very Easy To Do

I had done this in my RV7 and found it to be much easier and cleaner than putting the pins in from the outside front then having to fabricate something that looked descent to cover it up. I showed what I had done to Mike Bullock and he did it as well and documented it on Rivetbangers here: http://www.rivetbangers.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3072

Mike bent his guide tubes where mine were fairly straight. When you purchase the knobs, be sure there is plenty of material left in it to drill because you will be drilling past the screw hole to fit the hinge pin.

Doing this is so easy that everyone should be doing it.
__________________
Mike
JAMES AIRCRAFT.com

Flying - RV8 Hot Rod "Drone Killer"
Flying - RV8 "Look'n Good"
RV4 - FAST & FUN! Rebuilt, Flown, Sold
RV-7A Built, Flown, Sold
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 03-03-2010, 11:28 AM
Noah's Avatar
Noah Noah is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Rhode Island
Posts: 937
Default Yah Yah Good Stuff

I just did this a couple of weeks ago. Instead of drawer knobs like Mike Bullock used, I took a piece of 1/2" aluminum rod and cut it 1.5 inches long. Tapped #2-56 into the center to make a Tee-Handle on the end of the hinge pin. Used a 2-56 thread die to thread the hinge pin (hard stuff, use Boelube & go slow). I ordered thinwall stainless tubing with a 3/32 ID from McMaster Carr, and ran that from just forward of the firewall, aft to the rib adjacent the subpanel. It curves a little around the NACA vents, but no problem. Proseal was used to tack down the stainless tubing against the fuselage skin under the NACA duct. It IS IMPORTANT to have the aftmost eyelet on the cowl hinge be fastened to the lower cowl as mentioned previously. I also fabricated tiny brackets to guide the stainless tubing to point directly into that eyelet so minimal fiddling is required when pushing the pins in place.

Overall, it came out great and I am very happy with the result.

One "safety feature" of this design modification that might not be obvious is that you never fully remove the hinge pins (the front 10" stays engaged in the stainless tubing when "fully retracted", and they lay in your seat - so it would be almost impossible for you to "forget" to put them in. You know, like maybe you're putting your cowl back together and you just get the upper cowl camlocs on the firewall installed when your cellphone rings and you're called away for 25 minutes?

Let's see, hmm now, where was I? If your hinge pins are on the bench and normally install from the front it is ALMOST conceivable that you MIGHT forget to put them in on a really bad day.

I will post some photos of the final configuration when I get home tonight.
__________________
Highest Regards,

Noah F, RV-7A

All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men? for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible. -T.E. Lawrence
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 03-03-2010, 02:55 PM
Bavafa Bavafa is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 3,351
Default

I put mine from outside (where VANs shows) and it gets covered by a nice fairing that I made from fiberglass. The piece is about 1.5 tall/wide and it wraps around the air inlet and goes back about 2.5"

Let me know if you can not visualize it and I will take a picture and will send it. I am pretty sure the same thing can be made from aluminum, though some metal shrinking/stretching will be needed to form it really nice can then polishing it would look sharp.

The issue I can foresee putting it from inside is user friendliness of it.
__________________
Mehrdad
N825SM RV7A - IO360M1B - SOLD
N825MS RV14A - IO390 - Flying
Dues paid
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 03-03-2010, 03:19 PM
Mike S's Avatar
Mike S Mike S is offline
Senior Curmudgeon
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Dayton Airpark, NV A34
Posts: 15,420
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bavafa View Post
The issue I can foresee putting it from inside is user friendliness of it.
Seems like it would be fairly easy to me, just hang the lower half on the firewall like this photo (borrowed from RB link)



Then start the pin in the first eyelet, remember the bottom needs to have the first eyelet, see above post 7, set the top half on, and push the pin all the way in.
__________________
Mike Starkey
VAF 909

Rv-10, N210LM.

Flying as of 12/4/2010

Phase 1 done, 2/4/2011

Sold after 240+ wonderful hours of flight.

"Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything about it."

Last edited by Mike S : 03-03-2010 at 03:21 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 03-03-2010, 03:25 PM
Bavafa Bavafa is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 3,351
Default

For a tightly fitted cowl, some times I need to push the two halves together with one hand and push the pin with the other. This is specially the case at the beginning, but it is not much of an issue. After all, we want to have some thing for our spouse to do, right?
__________________
Mehrdad
N825SM RV7A - IO360M1B - SOLD
N825MS RV14A - IO390 - Flying
Dues paid
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:48 AM.


The VAFForums come to you courtesy Delta Romeo, LLC. By viewing and participating in them you agree to build your plane using standardized methods and practices and to fly it safely and in accordance with the laws governing the country you are located in.