Posts: 273
Joined: 9/28/2004 From: Monroe,
WA, USA Status: offline
All,
A interim milestone.
Here is the cowl plug with the parting boards attached and bottom half sprayed with PVA. The second photo shows the lower cowl coated with epoxy tooling resin and ready to be laminated in the morning. The tooling resin averages about 1/32" thick.
After the lower cowl mold has set, the horizontal parting board (it's one piece) will be removed and the top cowl mold will follow.
As you can see, the raised thrust line and extending the cowl has created a very smooth curve from the chin scoop down to the front of the wing.
< Message edited by tony-howard -- 11/24/2007 7:24:15 AM >
Posts: 1204
Joined: 1/25/2002 From: Dundas,
ON, CANADA Status: offline
Thanks for the update . The cowl looks great ! When I got my ARC I saw how disjointed that lower cowl area was . Your's is so much better . Eagerly awaiting your product !
Posts: 273
Joined: 9/28/2004 From: Monroe,
WA, USA Status: offline
I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel ...
The top and bottom molds are done and they both turned well. All that filling and sanding of the cowl plug really paid off!
I'm now finalizing the cloth cutting patterns and optimizing the layup schedule using just the top cowl (since it's easier to work with than the lower cowl). After 5 trial parts I've got it about optomized. Looks like the rear edge of the cowl will be 0.015" thick (give or take a little) which is what I hoped for.
At the same time I've been working out the details on how I want to mark the location of the exhaust shrouds in the top cowl and how to make the recesses for the air filter covers in the lower cowl. I think I have both techniques adequately tested and ready to try. The filter covers themselves will be 1/32" laser cut plywood and have been ordered. At the same time I'm working on the new exhaust kit for the cowl.
By this weekend I should have a full cowl made that I can trial fit to a fuselage to make sure the thrust alignment is OK. Then I can cut it apart to get the contour of the upper and lower firewall support formers.
There are a couple of decisions to be made in a few days that I'll be asking for help on.
Posts: 1983
Joined: 1/22/2002 From: Bennington,
NE, USA Status: offline
Tony, glad to hear things are progressing. Heres a question for you, could this be modified ...easily into an "A" model P51? or could that be an option you could put out? I imagine that a different chinmold and a crb scoopp would have to be made. Realise I have never made a mold before .....
Posts: 273
Joined: 9/28/2004 From: Monroe,
WA, USA Status: offline
Ram-bro
In answer to your question if my new cowl can be converted to an A model ... maybe. See the attached sketch in which I overlaid the best fit A model outline over the new cowl. It all depends on how close one thinks it comes to being realistic.
At this point I'm too involved in getting all the associated details worked out for the Merlin cowl kit that I'm not able to really think about any conversion like this. However, you could do it by cutting away the shaded area of the lower cowl and then spot gluing blue foam into that area. The foam would then be sanded to form the new contour. After glassing over the area the foam is then sanded (or dissolved) away. The intake could be done the same way.
This is a fairly simple process that I can help you with if you decide to go that way. PM me if you have any questions.
Hi Tony! How much you want for one of piece of art cowl? I go start assemble my TF 1/5 P-51 in some weeks and i really like of use one of your cowls.... Thanks
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RE: Improving the TF GS Mustang Cowl - 
