[clutch22]

Have any of you ever measured cowl surface temp after shutdown?

For about a year, I've been working on building a custom carbon cowl. (Non-RV, but this could apply to one)

I'm getting close to doing the layup, but I keep going back & forth between a room temperature epoxy or a high-temp epoxy. I have an oven in my shop that I plan to build a heat box onto for post-cure, but it's all a little intimidating.
If I can get away with room temp epoxy (that has a service temperature of 200F), that would be nice.

Any advice here?
Thank you!

 

[JohnInReno]

I wanted to check the battery temperature on the firewall. The strips are directly on the battery and I live in Arizona. I don't know what the cowl temp is. Probably hotter over the engine than on the firewall.

 

[hgerhardt]

Remember that Van's used to supply non-honeycomb, wet layup cowls made from polyester resin/fiberglass and they hold up okay too. I made mods to my old polyester cowl to accommodate the IO-360 and used Bondo resin in the layups. Been flying for 12 years.

 

[crabandy]

Hottest I?ve seen is always after shutdown on 95+F is 210-220 F.

 

[Jpm757]

Opening the oil access door after shutdown will help cool things off.

 

[clutch22]

I did not know that they used to be polyester. That makes me feel better.
The picture of the temps at the battery helps too.

Andy, thank you for the data.

 

[snopercod]

I have a temperature probe in my lower cowl just in front of the firewall near the exit of the oil cooler. I think it typically runs about 175 deg after shutdown on a 75 deg day. My cowl is polyester with some areas of epoxy where I had to blister it out for a different exhaust.