Cowl Fitting Part Eight!

Where the top cowl overlapped the bottom cowl, it is marked and then trimmed.

Next the lower cowl's aft hinges get marked for drilling.

Once all the holes are marked, the bottom cowl gets tapped to the fuse all the way down both sides.  It is critical that the fiberglass is even with the fuse skins.

Then the hinges are drilled and cleco'ed.

Next the side parting line hinges are located.  They are intentionally clamped slightly higher so that the necessary gap between the top and the bottom is less noticeable.

Then they are marked using the flexible ruler.

And then drilled.

Cowl Fitting Part Seven!

Then the bottom cowl is marked for cutting per the plans by measuring forward of the aft side of the white tape that was applied to the front of the fuse.

Only this section on both sides gets trimmed for now.

Then the cowl gets put back on again with tape.

Then the rest of the bottom cowl gets marked for trimming.  

Cowl Fitting Part Six!

They have you measure up from the top of the level to the front corner of the top cowl.

Left side.

Right side.  If they match you are good to go and the cowl is properly aligned.

Double checking that the cowling is centered on the fuse.

Also the aft end of the top cowl is marked for trimming by measuring from  the aft side of the white tape that was applied to the front of the fuse.

Getting the aft hinges ready to go.

Clamping the top cowl to the spinner backplate with the spacers.

Marking the location of the hinge rivet lines.

Super easy way to mark a consistent spacing.  Use a flexible ruler.

All marked.

And drilled in the cowl.

Replacing the top cowl and ensuring that it is back to its proper centered location.

Then taping it so it can't move.

And then drilling the top cowl to the hinge by alternating back and forth side to side.

Once the top cowl was drilled and cleco'ed I installed the lower cowl with tape.  Then I drilled the holes from the front top cowl to the bottom cowl for the three screws per side that get installed later.

The top cowl just overlaps the sides of the bottom cowl at this point.

Cowl Fitting Part Five!

Next they have you level the fuse in the roll axis.  I used some of the trim stock that I have on hand.

Then you level the level that they have you put in the floor under the front cowl corners.  Then they have you string up some plumb bobs from the front corners down to the top of the level.  Once the cowl is centered on the fuse, they have you mark the bob location on the level and measure from there up to the front corners of the cowl to ensure that the distances match.  The directions are pretty vague here leaving you to scratch your head on what they want you to do.

Next they want you to fab up these spacers that space the front cowl aft of the spinner backplate.  They call out wood.  These things have some weird radius' and particular dimensions.  I decided to just throw the job on the 3D printer instead.  Instant spacer blocks with perfect dimensions and no cussing!

Cowl Fitting Part Four!

Here is the aftermath of trimming the bottom cowl.

Then on to mounting the spinner backplate and the aft side of the prop hub.

If you don't have one of these...GET ONE!  They allow you to turn any wrench into a dogbone adapter for the torque wrench.  As long as you keep it 90deg to the torque wrench, no math required.  Worked great for getting to the nuts on the backside of the prop flange.

Installed!

Next they have you fab this angle tool and drill it to the center of the front of the cowl.

And mark the center of the aft side of the top cowl.