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Hold cowl from inside?

Old 03-23-2008, 06:44 AM
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petronio
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Default Hold cowl from inside?

Hello,
Does anyone know a neat and simple way to hold a round cowl from inside into place? I mean there wouldn't be any screws visible from outside. Thank you
Old 03-23-2008, 08:12 AM
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Edwin
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Default RE: Hold cowl from inside?

Wood firewall ring inside the cowl. You need long allen drivers to reach.
Edwin
Old 03-23-2008, 08:55 AM
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flipstart
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Default RE: Hold cowl from inside?

Ditto on the wood cowl ring-on a round cowl its easy-for 1/4 scale use a 1/4" ply ring, with attachment holes drilled at appropriate locations. I usually add an extra layer of fiber glass to inside so ring can be glued in and also glassed. I.D. of ply ring can be shaped to get around any obstacles. Socket head screws make it much easier to attach and remove cowling.
Old 03-23-2008, 09:34 AM
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petronio
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Default RE: Hold cowl from inside?

Aha, do you mean something like that...? And supposing I can't tighten them from the front of the cowl is there some other way of attaching it? Thank you for the fast replies
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Old 03-23-2008, 10:20 AM
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Edwin
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Default RE: Hold cowl from inside?

Not that I know of. What some will do is take an allen driver and cut it. Then splice in a piece of brass tube and solder it. Or even using an allen bit with 1/4" extensions. Dont know how well that would work, just speculating. When I bought my GP Yak54 it came with about a 14" allen driver. Maybe you could buy one from GP or Tower. Sometimes metal suppliers sell hex rod. I wouldnt think it would be too much trouble coming up with something.
Edwin
Old 03-23-2008, 11:29 AM
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Yuu
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Default RE: Hold cowl from inside?

I'm wondering if those little "ball-tip" hex wrenches would connect and hold enough to work through the little hole at the bottom fof the cylinders shown in the picture? The angle seems close to the limit, but it might work.
Old 03-23-2008, 11:37 AM
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Campy
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Default RE: Hold cowl from inside?

What size cowl ?

I did a cowl for a Bellanca Airbus (circa 1930's) that was attached with a combination of socket head screws and magnets. I could get at 2 screws with a looong homemade allen wrench and the other attaching points I imbedded magnets into "L" brackets on the inside of the cowl and steel plates (strips) imbedded into the firewall. The plane is powered by an Evolution 46 NT.

I got a hold of some 1/4" square magnets. Each magnet has a 6lb - 8lb holding weight. I used 3 magnets and 2 screws for the cowl plus steel 1/8" bolts embedded in the speed ring and magnets imbedded in the front of the cowl (with 2 3/32" dowel alignment pins).

I fly off a grass field, so some of the takeoff runs have been bumpy and "some" of my landings have been "on the hard side" Nothing shifted or came loose.

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Old 03-23-2008, 05:59 PM
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petronio
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Default RE: Hold cowl from inside?

Looks very nice Campy. I guess I will have to go with the socket head screws, the cowl may be too big to use magnets :S, diameter: aprox. 27cm, depth: aprox. 22cm. I will need quite some long screw hehe.
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Old 03-23-2008, 11:36 PM
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Laird SS
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Default RE: Hold cowl from inside?

Figure out where to drill a 1/4" (6.3mm) hole through the flat surface between the cylinders of the dummy engine directly in line with the screw heads you can't reach otherwise. They won't show from a distance.

Bruce B.
Old 03-24-2008, 05:25 AM
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Default RE: Hold cowl from inside?

ORIGINAL: Edwin

What some will do is take an allen driver and cut it. Then splice in a piece of brass tube and solder it.
I have actually cut the allen wrench (use only the longer straight part) and attach it to a dowel. This works great for me.
Old 03-24-2008, 06:30 AM
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Square Nozzle
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Default RE: Hold cowl from inside?

I did similar with a cowl on my P6e. Allen head machine screws through a flange inside the cowl. Since it was difficult to see the screw heads I put in tubes (slightly larger than the head of the screw) to guide the long allen wrench to the screw head. Works like a charm.
Old 03-25-2008, 04:27 AM
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petronio
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Default RE: Hold cowl from inside?

Ok, thank you very much to all of you, I think I have now a good idea on how to do it .
Old 09-17-2008, 06:08 AM
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Default RE: Hold cowl from inside?

If you can reach inside the fuse to the firewall you could put blind nuts on the cowl ring on the engine side. This way you just put the screws/hex bolts in from inside the fuse.


May be easier to reach this way and no funky angle.

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