Hello All,
I am interested in building a Falco from Jerry Bates plans. It is a sleek, 40 year old, 2 seat home built made out of wood. Jerry has plans in 1/4 size, problem being is he has the plug for the cowl but no cowls and he doesn't even have the plug for the canopy. By the time I would need them, he probably will have them but let's say for argument sake, he never pursues them and I have to handle it myself. Could someone please tell me how I would go about doing this and is it a difficult task. Thanks.

This is the best article I have seen on making fiberglass cowls.

http://cstsales.com/HowToArticles.htm

The cowl is reasonably easy using the "Lost Foam" method. Carve/sand a foam block to the shape you want. Make it longer than you need.

If you are going to have a "flush" mount cowl make the foam plug about 3/32" - 1/8" smaller all the way around to allow for the fiberglass.

If the cowl is going to go over the fuselage make the foam plug the same size as the fuselage.

Check the shape against the fuselage and any drawings for shape FREQUENTLY.

Cover the foam with a LOW TEMP film, then put about 8 - 10 coats of PASTE WAX over the film or use PVC mold release liquid - both work well.

Use 2 oz fiberglass and cut it in strips about 2" wide and LIGHTLY spray it with 3M #77 adhesive.
Apply/wrap the foam plug with the fiberglass strips. You will need about 3 - 4 layers for 1/4 scale.

Mix up some epoxy resin for a 30 minute work time, THEN dilute it with acetone by about 10%. Use a flux brush (most hardware stores for about $.25 each ) and apply the resin. Make sure it saturates the fiberglass, but is not excessive (you don't want any runs ). You can tell the fiberglass is saturated when you can clearly see the film color.

Put this aside and let dry for a couple of days. Now you can sand the cowl to remove any imperfections. If you need to fill low areas spot putty works very well (the red stuff in a tube in the auto section of the hardware store ). Once the outside of the cowl is to your satisfaction proceed to the next step.

If everything went well with the waxing, the foam plug should pop right out. If it doesn't pop out, make an X in the back of the cowl. Take the cowl OUTSIDE TO A SAFE AREA and put some gasoline onto the foam (about 3 - 5 oz should be enough for a 1/4 scale ) and come back in about 1/2 hour. Clean out the "sludge", peel off the film (dispose of this properly) and wash the cowl with soap and water. The cowl will be quite soft and flexable at this point. Take the cowl and let it sit for a couple of more days - it will stiffen up.

Now you can trim the back of the cowl to the length you need, fit it and make any additional holes you may need in it. Then prime and paint.

It sounds complicated, but it really isn't. I make cowls this way for many of my planes. It is a little time consuming and may be somewhat messy, but quite easy.

For the canopy you have to go a different route.

You will need to carve/sand the canopy plug from a fairly dense wood. Depending on your patience and skill, this can be difficult.

This plug HAS TO BE PERFECT. Do not use any filler or ANY TYPE of finish on the plug. Any defect in the plug WILL show on the finished product. Fillers will compress with the vacuum forming and any finishes will come through on the finished product. Once the plug is done, vacuum form clear plastic over the plug.

If you want to do vacuum forming yourself there are several articles on how to do it. If you don't want to do it yourself, there are commercial companies that will form the canopy for you or contact some of the members here. They will most likely do it for you for a minimal charge.

Hope this is of some help.

Thank you Guys. I appreciate the info. Hopefully, If I decide to do this plane (99% sure...), the Jerry Bates Falco, by the time I need the cowl and canopy, he will have them available. He says he is planning on having them so I will be in luck. Thanks again.