HFS
Well Known Member
After 20 years of putting the lower cowling on my Rocket by myself, I have finally gotten to the age of not being sure I could do it any more without the possibility of doing some unrecoverable damage - hence the need for a "Puter Oner".
I've been thinking about it for a while, and thought I had a pretty good working "idea" to start from.
Below is what came out of the shop - the bare frame looks like a simulator for roping Texas longhorns!
The other two pics show the cowling positioned under the motor - in a horizontal position; and, then with the "scissor" lift advanced - the rear of the cowl sits on the top of the gearleg fairings, which act as a support at that point, making the rotation up & under the spinner much easier physically.
The scissoring aspect is advanced either by a manual crank handle, for precise placement, or by cordless drill for a faster advance. Either way works - their use just depends on the need for speed or precision.
There is a manual "foot" brake at the front of the frame to give a bit of stability after the initial placement under the motor - otherwise, with 4 casters it's like skating on ice. I elected not to use brakes on the casters because I didn't know if I'd be able to access them at the critical time of placement. Where the foot "pad" is now, I can just reach down to set it.
YMMV - HFS
I've been thinking about it for a while, and thought I had a pretty good working "idea" to start from.
Below is what came out of the shop - the bare frame looks like a simulator for roping Texas longhorns!
The other two pics show the cowling positioned under the motor - in a horizontal position; and, then with the "scissor" lift advanced - the rear of the cowl sits on the top of the gearleg fairings, which act as a support at that point, making the rotation up & under the spinner much easier physically.
The scissoring aspect is advanced either by a manual crank handle, for precise placement, or by cordless drill for a faster advance. Either way works - their use just depends on the need for speed or precision.
There is a manual "foot" brake at the front of the frame to give a bit of stability after the initial placement under the motor - otherwise, with 4 casters it's like skating on ice. I elected not to use brakes on the casters because I didn't know if I'd be able to access them at the critical time of placement. Where the foot "pad" is now, I can just reach down to set it.
YMMV - HFS