I`ve made a few one-off glass cowlings generally as described above and although they came out OK, it can be a messy exercise, moreso for the smaller items as the strips of stiff glasscloth seem difficult to get to lay down neatly.

By chance I came across an article in RCM magazine, May 2004 issue, on making these using pantyhose in lieu of glasscloth. That must be one of the most useful 'how-to' articles I have ever read. I thoroughly recommend you track it down.

The job is approached similar as for a one off glass cowling over a male foam plug. Casually wrap kitchen film around the plug and then fit 4 separate tubes of nylon pantyhose cut from the leg of a pair of pantyhose. Unlike glasscloth, these cling to the plug and readily hold their shape. It is a simple job to massage out the occasional wrinkle and tie the open ends off with a strip or two of masking tape. The resin is applied as for the glasscloth item.

It is a simple exercise to separate the finished item from the plug. I give mine a good coat of sanding sealer prior to painting. in my opinion the finished item is lighter weight and a finer finish than the average glasscloth equivalent and therefore ideal for the smaller project.

The largest one I have done so far was for my 80" span Spitfire and in this instance I applied a few strips of glasscloth around the inside to beef it up.

Try it - you`ll like it.

Alan W