E

edbooth

Well Known Member
HELP ! I am fitting a James holy cowl to an RV-10 with a Three bladed MT prop. (always a blade in the way). Does anyone out there have a easy solution to fitting the bottom of the cowl for easy installation and removal??? The only thing I can see to do is to fashion a removable panel on the bottom of the cowl to give enough clearance at the nose gear leg to get the cowl in past the prop. Having to remove and replace the prop everytime to get the cowl on and off is not an option.
I appreciate any input on this.

Ed Booth, builder/flyer RV-6, RV-7 and RV-10
 
There is a guy in Florida who made the entire airbox bulge removable on his 10. He did it to make oil changes easier, as well as helps to get the lower cowl off.

I am going to do the same mod on mine, as I have a 3 blade MT also.

This is on a stock cowl, not sure how it would work with a James, as I do not know what changes from stock there are.

It is not a particularly hard thing to do, at least on the stock unit. Figure out where you want the parting line, use a cut off wheel to make a series of slits along the line, leave just enough still connected to support the piece you want to cut out. Put a layer of release tape on one side of the cut line, scuff the other side, and layup glass over both sides until you have enough to hold a series of nut plates. Carefully cut out the retaining tabs, pop out the part you want removable.

In a stock cowl, this works out well in an area that is solid glass, right at the radius from cowl bottom to airbox. If your James cowl needs to be cut in an ares where it has the honeycomb core, you will need to address that. Dig out the honeycomb a quarter inch along the edge, and fill with flox----this is necessary to give strength to the cut edge.

If you are interested, P.M/e-mail me and I can get you a phone number for the gentleman in Florida.

Good luck.
 
Holy Cowl help

Thanks for the reply Mike. I understand what you are talking about. That sounds like a good idea. There is not much difference in that area between the James cowl and the stock Cowl. I have already lengthened the cutout for the nose gear leg, but it is still somewhat of a chore to get the thing on and off. The removeable inlet just might be the way to go.
Thanks again

Ed Booth, Trenton, SC

Three time offender.
 
Removable panel

Ed, The only solution I could conjure was the removable panel you mentioned. Here are some pictures of what I did. I spoke with a -10 builder @ OSH in 06 who had a 3 bld, and his advice was to make it go as far forward as possible.
http://deemsrv10.com/album/Sec 47 Spinner and Cowling/slides/DSC04249.html
There are several pictures of the installation just follow the links (fwd/back) on the left side of the page. There are about a dozen pics of the panel.
 
Bottom Cowl and MT Prop

I have an MT 3 blade prop on my RV-10 with Van's stock cowl. I extended the cut of the gear leg opening about 14 inches and then attached the extra cutout with hinges so that I could pull the pins and remove it. It is still very hard to get the piano hinge back in after putting on the bottom cowl. This winter I am going to cut out a 6 inch wide piece of the bottom cowl from just behind the gear leg cutout forward about 16 inches (which will include the existing piano hinge cutout) and then re-glass the piano hinge cutout in place permenantly and install cam locks on either side and the front of the cutout so that it will be real easy to remove and replace and the bottom cowl will drop down enough to clear the 3 blade prop.

One other thing, because I have the airbox baffling real tight to the scoop I have to remove the MT Spinner each time I remove the bottom cowl. Hopefully with the larger cutout in the bottom I can work on and off the bottom cowl without removing the spinner.
 
removable panel

Thanks Deems. That looks good. What engine and fuel system do you have, or did you just change the air inlet opening to look different?? Also if you have the internal plenum, how did you seal the oil door access in the plenum? I used a large thermos type cap. One with the expandable rubber seal.

Thanks again,

Ed Booth, Trenton, SC
 
Ed, I had an RV-10 with an MT 3-blade. Yes, it is a pain to get the bottom cowl off an on initiially. I put duct tape on the back of the prop blades to protect them, and I lengthened the nose gear leg slot in the lower cowling to make it easier. After I flew the airplane a while, it seemed like it was easier to get on and off. I don't think I lengthened the slot any more than an inch or 2, and I didn't add any re-enforcements, and after 520+ hours, there wasn't any cracking, so I would do it the dame way again.

Vic
 
lower cowl removal

Hi Vic, thanks for the info. Don't know if you remember me or not, was over at your place a year or so ago with Greg Connell to look at your plane (was flying the maroon and grey RV-7). You also flew over here to Twin Lakes and gave us rides in your beautiful machine , (very impressive).
I think I'll install a larger access panel on the bottom for more wiggle room and easier removal.
Maybe I'll just make it a taildragger and eliminate the problem....HA

Ed Booth, Trenton, SC, Twin lakes Airpark (S17)
 
Russ in Texas, Thanks a lot for your input. I guess those 3 bladed props are nice and smooth, but are they worth the trouble?? I am leaning toward putting in a large access panel.

Ed Booth, Trenton, SC, Twin Lakes Airpark (S17)
 
edbooth said:
Thanks Deems. That looks good. What engine and fuel system do you have, or did you just change the air inlet opening to look different?? Also if you have the internal plenum, how did you seal the oil door access in the plenum? I used a large thermos type cap. One with the expandable rubber seal.

Thanks again,

Ed Booth, Trenton, SC
Click to expand...

I have a Barrett Performance Engines IO-540. with Cold Air Induction and a Forward Facing Airflow Performance FM-300 fuel servo.
http://deemsrv10.com/album/Sec FF6 Exhaust System/slides/DSC04742.html

The Will James Cowl was made specifically for the BPE Cold Air & AFP Fuel combo. However, at the time I was ready there was no filtered air system that fit the 'oval' induction ring, I was about to fabricate one when I found Rod Bowers Ram/filtered/alternate air system.
http://deemsrv10.com/album/Rod Bower Ram Air/slides/DSC05151.html

I REALLY liked his design, but in order to get it to work/fit I needed to remove the oval induction ring and replace it with a circular one.
Here's an album that shows the photos in that process.
http://deemsrv10.com/album/Rod Bower Ram Air/index.html

It looks like more work than it really was. I also made a model/mold for Rob so that subsequent builders would have an easier time. Here's a shot of the final
http://deemsrv10.com/album/Rod Bower Ram Air/slides/DSC05277.html

I have installed the James Plenum:
http://deemsrv10.com/album/Sec FF2 Baffling and Plenum/index.html

re. the oil spout access, here's what I did:
http://deemsrv10.com/album/Sec FF2 Baffling and Plenum/slides/DSC04967.html

I copied this from another -10 builder and fabricated it from fiberglass. It looks complicated but really only took a few hours. here's a link to the album that photo chronicles the process.
http://deemsrv10.com/album/Sec FF2 Baffling and Plenum/slides/DSC04896.html

click forward thru about 17 pictures to get the idea.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the info Deems, Great pix. I like your oil access idea better than mine.

Ed Booth, Trenton, SC
 
You must log in or register to reply here.