[acam37]

If anyone has been following my previous posts on VAF, my re-build has been one challenge after another. Now I am to the point of re-fitting the original cowl due to the engine mounted incorrectly. I had to trim almost an inch off the back side, so as of now there are no holes drilled. What is the best method of securing the cowl? Screws, piano hinges, cam-lok, ect. Or is it just builder preference?

 

[smokyray]

Dzus or not Dzus....

If anyone has been following my previous posts on VAF, my re-build has been one challenge after another. Now I am to the point of re-fitting the original cowl due to the engine mounted incorrectly. I had to trim almost an inch off the back side, so as of now there are no holes drilled. What is the best method of securing the cowl? Screws, piano hinges, cam-lok, ect. Or is it just builder preference?

Arlie,
Everything is builder preference!
Having built three of these airplanes I have tried three different cowl attachments.
My favorite setup was my Rocket with Cam-Lok fasteners on top, piano hinge on the sides. The aesthetically pleasing lines of the of the cowl aren't affected with the CL's on top. The only "fun" part was building the "ledge" along the top of the firewall with the CL sockets inside. Later I retrofitted the design to my RV4. I always used piano hinge wires on the sides, secured in front by a cover plate cut in the shape of a Rocket. On top I spaced the Cam-Lok fasteners 4 inches apart, much easier to remove the top cowling than reaching through your oil door to pull a hinge wire. Over time, you will greatly appreciate the ease of removing the top cowl! Beside the spinner I use screws with nut-plates.

Merry Christmas!
Smokey

 

[Larry DeCamp]

Sybolt is nice !

Arlie, I recently finished a retrofit a of a used cowl on new fuse. The Skyolt fasteners on the fire wall were really nice as replacement for hinge. A VAF contributor noted how valuable it is to "not hesitate to pull the cowl" for frequent inspections. I used hinge on the side with " undersized drill rod" from Fastenal. The rod that comes with the hinge is just too tight.