Cowl hinges when to drill

[RVG8tor]

I am at the point I want to hang the engine, I have read the various sites but none mention the cowl hinges. It seems access to drill and fit the hinges to the fuselage side would be better without the engine.

So did you drill the fuselage side of the cowl hinges before or after mounting the engine?

I still have few things to finish up on the firewall before I hang the engine and I thought I might do the hinges now. I want to leave the top skin off at lead until I have the control cables sorted out.

Cheers

[rleffler]

Originally Posted by RVG8tor

I am at the point I want to hang the engine, I have read the various sites but none mention the cowl hinges. It seems access to drill and fit the hinges to the fuselage side would be better without the engine.

So did you drill the fuselage side of the cowl hinges before or after mounting the engine?

I still have few things to finish up on the firewall before I hang the engine and I thought I might do the hinges now. I want to leave the top skin off at lead until I have the control cables sorted out.

Cheers

I have a RV-10, so it may be different than your model. I have yet to rivet the upper fuselage assembly and the hinges. The engine has been hung since March. On the 10, there are two rivets that are difficult, but not impossible rivet due to the motor mount.

I wanted the upper fuselage assembly to be off when I wired the FWF and avionics. I don't like working under the dash of my car and I suspect working under the panel in a RV is worse.

I suspect each RV model will have it's own unique issues.

[cfiidon]

Mike,

I hung my engine before I put on the metal strips for Skybolt fasteners (I didn't use hinges). I don't recall any issues with access.

Don

[kiwipete]

I know on my RV7 there where a few rivets that would have been difficult to set down the side due to the engine mount so I put the hinges on first.

Peter

[robertahegy]

The bottom hinges are difficult to do after the motor mount is on, so I would at least do those.

Roberta

[mattsmith]

Mike,
I hung the engine and then started fitting the cowl, got the cowl to fit the way I wanted it and then drilled the hinges and Cleco the whole thing together to make sure it was good before I started the glass work.
Two tips I have are drill the hinge half to the airframe sooner so you have a lip there to help hold the cowl in place while you?re doing the trimming and use a drill stop when you drill for the cowl, some of the hole?s are very close to valve covers.
I used Brentnels post on (fitting the pink cowl) and it is a very good source for the fun you are about to have. Hope this helps