Cowl Attachment

[lewy]

Hello, We have started the lower cowl attachment, we have four clecoes holding it in place and the lower cowl just barely touches the back spinner plate, when we attach the top cowl to the bottom cowl we have the desired gap at the spinner plate. Does the lower cowl flex outward when separated from the top cowl, just thinking ahead as I have seen first engine starts with top cowl off and the lower cowl not touching the spinner plate. I have sanded just a little past the firewall scribe lines and don"t want to sand any farther because of the inner cooling tunnel fit to the oil and water radiators. Anyone have this problem? Should I sand some more or take some off the back spinner plate? Thanks Don Lewis

 

[rvbuilder2002]

Hello, We have started the lower cowl attachment, we have four clecoes holding it in place and the lower cowl just barely touches the back spinner plate, when we attach the top cowl to the bottom cowl we have the desired gap at the spinner plate.

That is how they typically are.

Does the lower cowl flex outward when separated from the top cowl, just thinking ahead as I have seen first engine starts with top cowl off and the lower cowl not touching the spinner plate.

Don,
Once the cooling air duct is bonded into the cowl, the cowl get considerably stiffer and you will no longer see this problem. That is why the manual says to install the cowl on the airplane while the flox mixture used for installing the duct,cures, to be sure everything is properly aligned (what ever shape it is in while it cures is the shape it will stay).

 

[lewy]

cowl

thanks again