attaching the cowl
attaching the cowl
Anyone out there have an alternate way of installing the upper cowl on a
-6 or -7? seen one install that eliminated the upper piano hinge and replace it with Dzus / Cam-Loc fasteners.
acwrench
-6 or -7? seen one install that eliminated the upper piano hinge and replace it with Dzus / Cam-Loc fasteners.
acwrench
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- Chief Rivet Banger
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I have a good friend that has replaced the upper hinge on his 8 with zues fasteners and its beautiful. Ill get some pictures when I get back from Osh.
-- John
-- John
http://www.rivetbangers.com - Now integrating web and mail!
Current Build: 2 years into a beautiful little girl
Current Build: 2 years into a beautiful little girl
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- Class C
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- Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2004 8:37 pm
- Location: Sartell MN
Just Changing Mine
I am building a RV-6A and I installed the cowl this Spring and I didnot read the print carefully enough. Although all of the RV's that have seen locally used the traditional piano hinge on the side and it was located right where the upper and lower cowl meet. My lower cowl was made so that the upper cowl overlapped it. If you read the print carefully it says to remove the portion that is over lapped on the outer parts of the lower cowl. I did not understand that and it clearly states not to remove the overlap on the air intake sections. I carefully installed the lower hinge on the lower cowl on the recessed lip. Then I carefulley drilled #40 holes through the firewall into the NACA ducts so that I could insert and remove the hinge pin through these holes. I then put the hinge pin in and drilled and clecoed the upper hinges half to the upper cowl. Then I carefully riveted the upper hinges to the upper cowl. I could with great effort remove and rienstall the right horizonatal hinge pin but no way could I get the left one back in. After a couple of months of trying various means to reslove the left hinge, I called my technical counselor and pointed out my error. I ordered quarter turn fastners to replace the horizontal hinges. I am continuing to use the the upper hinges but be sure to 90 thousand stainless steel hinge pins once you have aligned, drilled and clecoed the upper cowl to the fuselage! I was not using that and once I changed they go in and out relatively easy. I really like the piano hinges to hold the sides of the lower cowl to the fuselage. However I installed .063 2"X12" strips on each side of the bottom of the fuselage. I then put six nutplates on each side but four would have been adequate. I am using #8 roundhead stainless steel screws on the bottom. I am hoping to get my quarter turn fastners on Monday so hopefully I will have them installed before I leave for Oshkosh Wednesday. Read the prints carefully and telephone someone when in doubt!
attaching the cowl
look forward to the pics when you get back from OSH
acwrench
acwrench
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- Class C
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I Forgot to Mention
If you do not want to use piano hinge, do not remove the inner lip on the lower cowl! Then you can use Zuis fasteners etc.
cowl attach
I'll have to look at the cowl when the finish kit arrives
acwrench
acwrench
So are there problems with the piano hinge mounting method? I guess after looking at tons of RV's this past week the mounting method I thought looked best was the piano hinge. I plan on using it unless there is reason not to. Am I missing somthing or is it just a personal preference thing?
JohnR
RV-7A - Fuselage - SOLD, just not supposed to be
Numbers 6:24 - The LORD bless thee, and keep thee
RV-7A - Fuselage - SOLD, just not supposed to be
Numbers 6:24 - The LORD bless thee, and keep thee
The main problem I know of is wear and tear on the hinge eyes leading to failure or weakness / looseness.
Stu's RV-6 has lost two of the eyes off the oil door and there is play in some of the hinges on the cowl.
There are aftermarket hinges that are more durable with tighter tolerances.
One benefit of the hinge is a continuous joint - no possibility of bulging between fasteners.
Thomas
Stu's RV-6 has lost two of the eyes off the oil door and there is play in some of the hinges on the cowl.
There are aftermarket hinges that are more durable with tighter tolerances.
One benefit of the hinge is a continuous joint - no possibility of bulging between fasteners.
Thomas
- captain_john
- Sparky
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The lower cowl is the one that is hard to attach. Wicked Stick's -4 is almost a 2 man job!
It is hard to finagle into position, defy gravity and hold there all the while trying to insert the hinge pins!
CJ
It is hard to finagle into position, defy gravity and hold there all the while trying to insert the hinge pins!
CJ
RV-7
Garmin G3X with VP-X & a TMX-IO-360 with G3i
It's all over but the flying! 800+ hours in only 3 years!
Garmin G3X with VP-X & a TMX-IO-360 with G3i
It's all over but the flying! 800+ hours in only 3 years!
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- Class C
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