Marty_d

Mods - I really think Off Topic is the spot for this thread.

Quick update - I finished trimming the lower cowl today (apart from where the exhaust will exit), located it properly and did a 1/8" hole on each side so I could cleco it. Unfortunately I'm not going to be able to use the top cowl - it got a couple of cracks when I was trying to lever it out of the mould, and when I try to press it down in position it creases along the crack lines. I think I have enough pieces of carbon left to do another one, and this time I'll use PVA - I'm a convert Peter! I did some weighing today - the trimmed lower cowl is just on 2kg, the top (which I can't use) is just over 1kg. This is fairly light compared to fibreglass - there's a top cowl the guy who lent me the mould gave me made out of chopped strand and poly, that weighs over 2kg.

My engine came out of a well maintained training aircraft so I might leave the adjustments as they are initially!

Bob, I've just been watching some youtube stuff about dzus. Apparently some have a reduced section on the shank so you can slip a circlip over them which goes between the parts to be held. This would keep the dzus attached to the outer part when they separated. Like below: these ones from Bullant seem to have a nylon washer (1.3mm thick), not sure how it goes over the large part to be held on but it'd certainly stop accidental droppings.

That's the thing isn't it. I can imagine that the cowl is on and off like a bride's nightie while the plane is under construction, FWF is being sorted out and everything adjusted. But after you start flying, how often do you remove it?

Thanks Bob. Being a scratch built cowl, there's no guarantee that other planes would have the same thickness. I'll measure as best I can to select the right length. Great advice - keep it coming!

Yes it's starting to look like DZUS are the way to go. Someone gave me a link to an Australian supplier so will calculate how many I need and put in an order.

Thanks Bob, Peter and Planey. Bob, that's interesting that the Sav has the cowl inside the fuse ally. Everything on the 701 is built so the overlaps are downwind, ie the bit that's towards the front always goes over the bit behind it. I always assumed that cowls would be like that too. The installation instructions for the factory cowl (attached) have it overlapping the fuse and screwed to it, with the top overlapping the bottom and screwed together. I especially like the bit on page 8 that says "Note: on our demo, we push up the bottom cowl to fit around the fuselage and ignored the beveled flange along the top of the bottom cowl." Maybe I should do that - not worry about trying to bevel the joint, the top cowl is only 3 layers of CF thick anyway so it wouldn't hurt it to sit over the bottom cowl. Actually it's interesting that they just use countersunk flat head screws into flush riveted nutplates on both the fuselage and joining the cowls. Maybe I should do that - sounds easier than trying to run a hinge along it! Yes access to the oil tank - definitely will have a door there. r912s-ring-6.pdf

F10, there's quite an extensive thread about the Orange Clown in the Off Topic section. However letting people know that you think he was an effective president is kind of like telling people you think getting syphilis is a character-building experience - you're fully entitled to your opinion but you probably won't get much agreement.

Hey folks, As promised - some photos. I took off the muffler today and started test fitting, need to work out where the exhaust is going to exit the cowl and cut accordingly. Haven't got the prop yet but bought a spinner that bolts on the front of it, temporarily bolted that on with some BA (Bunnings Aerospace) bolts to get some idea of what it'll look like. By the way - thinking about how the top and bottom pieces will go together - planning to use aluminium piano hinge on the sides and maybe Dzus round the firewall connection. Any advice (and pictures) of the best way to do this? Overlap? Rebated piece under on one surface? Butt join? Thanks!

Obviously not appropriate if you're only pulling 10 rivets, but my generic air riveter has pulled around 6500 with only occasional unjamming required.

It worked!!!!! I just popped the lower cowl out of the mould. It came straight out, no sticking, no lumps and bumps and divots. (Well maybe a couple of minor divots!) Decided not to use gel coat this time, just 4 layers of carbon fibre and equivalent weight in polyester. The difference - thanks to some excellent advice from several people, especially @nomadpete - was using PVA sprayed and brushed into the mould first, and a bead of silicone around all the opening holes and the edges. Yesterday I used a small foam roller to put on a coat of poly, followed by carbon, followed by poly, followed by... you get the picture! I am also extremely grateful to the forum member (I'm not sure if he wants to be named) who donated more than enough carbon fibre to do this cowling. Sorry about the dodgy photo, obviously taken in the dark. The piece has daggy bits of PVA hanging off it but that peels off easily. Also looks like an evil halloween pumpkin from the front, especially with those strands of CF in the "mouth" - but hey, it worked, and I'm stoked - and relieved! Will take more pics when I've trimmed everything and test fitting over the engine.

Bob, you show excellent workmanship in awl of your work.

@RFguy - if you're thinking of flying over the ditch, give Peter Reed from SkyFlyte Aviation (Devonport / Wynyard) a call. I bought my 912 off him and had a discussion about flying the Strait. He does it quite often in a Foxbat and could advise you about special equipment, best time to fly, route etc. Here's his website which includes contact details: https://flyingintasmania.com/about/

Brilliant. Thanks Peter. We were actually over there in 2014 (August) so just missed it. Damn, probably would have changed our travel dates if I'd known at the time!

Not sure if it was 2 or 3. I went to 2 I think - Chris Sperou accidentally landed his Pitts inverted right in front of me!

He even called it his "energy management routine". I saw him do it at Skyrace Tasmania in the 90's. Met some US airmen the next year and they wanted to go see the airfield he was at- man was a hero to them.

Was that Bob Hoover, Nev?

Whether it's allowable or not, surely the purpose of recreational aviation is to get AWAY from the kids???

The airlines must be ahead of the regs then. We flew to Europe when our youngest was under 2, she was given a supplementary belt that hooked on to a parents belt.

Heard on ABC radio yesterday of a light aircraft experiencing landing gear problems at YCBG. Emergency services were not required, apparently. Par Avion was named, their fleet includes 172, 206, Duchess, Britten Norman Islander and Navajo, so I don't know what type had the issue. Anyone hear anything? Cheers, Marty

Ah c'mon Nev. Have a look at this and tell me it doesn't get the blood pumping... (suspend your disbelief at the world's slowest missile, and don't look too closely at the hangar scene or you'll see the post they suspended the plane on).

Not to mention, James Bond made it famous!

Imagine the chaffing his wife would give him. He wouldn't be chuffed about the chaffing about the chafing.

Why, did his harness see him doing something embarrassing?