RE: Exit Air Attach Bracket?

[fstringham7a]

I have finally found a Van's bracket that I MAY leave off the aircraft. DWG 45 RV7 has an exit air attach bracket to stablize the lower cowl and provide a point of attachment for the lower cowl hinge rods. It is for tri gear only aircraft and I belive lower snout type horizontal air induction cowls. I have fabricated it and have measured for the U620B bend.

I really don't think it adds to the stability of the lower cowl and I can think of a lot less weighty devices to secure the lower cowl hinge pins and enclose the gear leg hole. I also don't want to drill into the engine mount gusset. I have a the cowl with out the forward facing air snout. I had to fab my own snout that is much higher on the cowl. This accomadates the new style cold ram air induction throttle body of an IOX 360 ECi Titan engine.

I noted on some folks web sites that they have eliminated this interesting bracket.

Any thoughts, advice, suggestions on this issue before I move forward with my desire to chuck this bracket?????????

Frank @ SGU & 1L8 last 10000 details

[lostpilot28]

Hi Frank,
I'm at the point in my build (SJ cowl) where it talks about covering the nose gear leg hole with an aluminum plate, but it doesn't seem to be required. They "suggest" doing so to eliminate flutter.

I don't really want to build that bracket if I don't have to. I went with #8 screws on the bottom of the cowl, so I don't need it for that. Did you ever find out if it's required or not?

[jsharkey]

I believe that even on the tail dragger it helps to reduce the fatigue loads on the lower cowl hinge attachments which other wise have a habit of failing. I plan to add some sort of additional support there on my RV6.
Jim Sharkey
RV6 - Finishing Up!

[fstringham7a]

Sonny

I finally modified the bracket to fit my particular installation and it did add alot of stability to the cowl exit area. Not flying quite yet but I am glad I did finally cave into the PLANS and added the bracket.

Frank @ 1L8 ....RV7A....last 950 details

[Flying Scotsman]

I was trying to install this part this evening, but my cowling and nosegear weldment don't seem to match the plans. The plans for this part show several inches between the cowling and the gusset on the weldment, but my weldment/gusset is right *at* the cowling. This leaves essentially no room for the two bends in the attachment piece. Not only that, but that gusset is awfully small and cramped. I just can't see a way to get this part to work out here...so I'm thinking of two options: leave it off, or fab up a cross-member between the two nearby tubes and Adel clamp the cross-member, then attach the support to that.

Anybody else have this situation? Any alternative solutions?

[WenEng]

Not much guidance on making this cowl support fit right with a horizontal induction lower cowl on my 6A. Another VAFer emailed me his solution. I shamelessly copied it. The nosewheel gusset does not have enough room for two bolts. You need to put an 063 plate bracket across the engine mount tubes to support the assembly. You also need to make a bracket with correct bends for your cowl. The stock part might fit a vertical carbed engine, but not my horizontal injected cowl. The cowl that came didn't have a lot of extra. I had to be especially careful trimming. So far, so good. I did leave an extra inch of exit cowl only under the exhaust pipes aft of the firewall so my fabbed support extends aft by that additional inch or so, requiring all longer parts.

[sglynn]

Wendel
Thanks for posting this solution for the exhaust bracket for cowl with horizontal inductiion. And thanks for the good photos on your Kitlog. I'm working this bracket now and stopped when I realized it is not per drawing. Another great benefit of this forum and construction logs. Thanks