Hinged top cowling?

[dicel87]

I was just looking through the latest issue of Kitplane and enjoyed the reading the article about the plane featured on the cover - a beautiful white Falco. I noticed in the pictures incuded in the article that the upper half of the cowling is hinged on both sides from firewall towards prop end. Then out of curiosity I checked the Falco web site and noticed that they seem to all be built that way.

So I wondered if there were any RV builders who may have incorporated a similar approach? Obviously it does add some weight and additional complexity to the build, but are there potential benefits that would warrant this approach on a side by side RV?

Scott
Dreaming of RVs at work while the snow falls in KC

[JonJay]

There would be little benefit. Some of the most important items to inspect, control linkages, exhaust stacks, fuel lines, etc.... are on the bottom requiring you to take off the bottom cowl anyway. There is very little that a hinged top would expose that would help you I would think.
I have the standard cowl fastening and can take the cowling on, and off, in less than 20 minutes. It has only come off between oil changes thus far.

[Steve A]

Take a look at Gary Newsted's hinged cowlings. His website is
http://www.jlc.net/~fcs/Builders_Journal.htm

He built a very nice RV 9, great paint job and many innovative features. Gary's background is electical engineer I think but his web site is almost as inspiring as Checkoway's.

IMHO.