I'm in the middle of the construction of my first plane. The cloud dancer 60 has gone together quite easily, the only thing I have left to do is the instalation of the radio and servos, the engine and the cg balance. i will also be installing an FMA co-pilot. My question is about the cowling: what's the best way to cut it? I was thinking I could use a Dremel with a small grinding attachment to make the shape I need. Ant tips or suggestions are welcome.

P.S. This will not be the first plane I fly, I will be ordering a trainer of some kind in the near future.

Flyerdarren,

Using a Dremel with a small grinding bit is exactly how I cut openings in cowlings.

I also mark a line on the fuselage where the cowling will be seated. Then I tape a piece of heavy paper behind the cowl attachment line. I make the engine cutout in the paper. I remove the engine and install the cowl. The paper is then used to trace an exact outline of the engine opening on the cowl. I make the cutout into the cowl and I have an exact opening perfectly matched to the engine.

Hope this helps.
John

It's not really a beginners plane but first of all take off the wheel paints as they act as x-acto knifes on a rough landing. The model is fast and true by design and will preform very well. It tends to glide fast and wants to take up all the runway you have so fly in a large area. I've had tons of problems with the inverted engine and have finally decided to lower the tank in hope that it will prevent flooding and hydolocking of the engine. As soon as I finish my summer project I can get back to flying my planes again instead of my company models.

It's a bute and you will love the way it flies.

I haven't seen the cowl on a Cloud Dancer yet, since the one I ordered has not arrived yet. But one thing I have found that helps get a smoother cut is to spread a little bit of thin CA on the inside of the cowl before you start grinding. I also use my dremel and the paper template method mentioned by John Norton. I find that the CA minamizes the number of loose and peeling fiber glass strands I end up with around my freshly cut cowling holes.

PS: If your looking for a good first plane to fly before the cloud dancer. Check out Kangke's Astro Trainer H-40. It's one of the only trainers I've seen with a semisymetric airfoil and a bolt down wing.