rockbottom
Active Member
I am fitting the cowl to my 8 and have elected to use Skybolt fasteners along the firewall and hinges along the horizontal seams. After trimming the lower cowl to fit and pulling it tight, the lower corners where the cowl meets the firewall created a gap of nearly 1/8 inch. The radius of the bend in the cowl simply didn't match that of the firewall lower corners. (see first photo)
In an attempt to achieve a closer fit, I trimmed away the lower corner areas in the cowl and then re-glassed the corners.
The problem I have now is purely cosmetic but nevertheless visually noticeable. (see the photo) You can see what amounts to a "bulge" where the cowl meets the fuselage.
I was careful to ensure the horizontal seam between the bottom and top halves of the cowl were level (in parallel with the canopy rails) and I managed to achieve more or less an even 1/4" gap between the front of the cowl (both halves) and the back of the propeller spinner. But the appearance in these lower corner areas is bugging me. I'm reluctant to sand or remove material from the thicker part of the lower cowl in the corner areas and then re-glass simply to achieve a smoother 'line' where the cowl meets the fuselage. I admit to being a bit of a perfectionist, but I've not seen this in other builders' airplanes. Here's a view from the inside:
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Jim Baker
RV8 Firewall Fwd
In an attempt to achieve a closer fit, I trimmed away the lower corner areas in the cowl and then re-glassed the corners.
The problem I have now is purely cosmetic but nevertheless visually noticeable. (see the photo) You can see what amounts to a "bulge" where the cowl meets the fuselage.
I was careful to ensure the horizontal seam between the bottom and top halves of the cowl were level (in parallel with the canopy rails) and I managed to achieve more or less an even 1/4" gap between the front of the cowl (both halves) and the back of the propeller spinner. But the appearance in these lower corner areas is bugging me. I'm reluctant to sand or remove material from the thicker part of the lower cowl in the corner areas and then re-glass simply to achieve a smoother 'line' where the cowl meets the fuselage. I admit to being a bit of a perfectionist, but I've not seen this in other builders' airplanes. Here's a view from the inside:
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Jim Baker
RV8 Firewall Fwd