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Rubber padding that keep birds out of your cowl

donaziza

Well Known Member
Went out to go flying yesterday. Found the left air intake by the cylinder jammed full of leaves, twigs and other junk. Obviously, a bird building a nest. (And it's in a hangar)Where does one find those rubber pad thingies you use to keep the birds out? I checked Aircraft Spruce---no luck.
 
One glues a few chunks of sliced pool noodle into a bigger chunk, then carves same to fit cowl inlet as a plug. One can if desired secure a rope between the two plugs with knotted ends.

Alternatively, one can line the inlets with packing tape and fashion plugs from expanding foam with a rope lanyard foamed in place.

I have done both. #2 fits more snugly since it is a custom mold. No pics for now, but probably not necessary.
 
Went out to go flying yesterday. Found the left air intake by the cylinder jammed full of leaves, twigs and other junk. Obviously, a bird building a nest. (And it's in a hangar)Where does one find those rubber pad thingies you use to keep the birds out? I checked Aircraft Spruce---no luck.

From Vans at https://shop.vansaircraft.com/cgi-bin/shop.cgi?ident=1561440171-40-711&browse=airframe&product=cowl_plugs

cat-med_cowl_plugs.jpg
 
for outdoors

I use a couple of the 'fancy' car wash sponges ( $4) with the grippy thing on one side, and the terrycloth on the other side.
bonus, if it's bright green, so you don't miss it on your, ahem, thorough pre-flight! the sun eventually fades the colour, so the frugal of us turn the thing over ....for another year!
:)
bonus#2, you can wash/wax your plane with it!
 
This works for me. I only use it when away from home. You may want to upgrade the factory covering (package it comes in) to an old bread bag or something better if left out for long periods of time. I'm all about fancy!
https://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/detailer-s-choice-giant-bone-sponge/0000000039031?Ntt=sponge


I've used these as well, sans the plastic bag. On the down side, they aren't bright colored or have flags that stick up into view from the cockpit or even have a rope between them that would pull them out if you start without removing them. On the UP side, IF you should miss them on pre-flight, they will either blow into the upper cowling area or stay sort of in place. Either way, they're quite porous and will allow enough air flow to not bring you out of the sky. In fact, you might not even notice warmer CHT or oil temps. Or so I've been told........ By a friend......... But it sure wasn't me!
 
El Cheapo sponges fit perfectly in my cowl intakes, keeps that same pesky bird out

HA! I went to Walmart. Got 2 sponges that are absolutely a perfect fit in my cowl intakes. It's like they were made for an RV 8. $1.99 each. All I have to do now is tie a couple of red "do not fly" streamers to each one, and I'm good to go. I love cheap.;)

I'd post pictures, but I always have a heck of a time trying to do that.
 
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HA! I went to Walmart. Got 2 sponges that are absolutely a perfect fit in my cowl intakes. It's like they were made for an RV 8. $1.99 each. All I have to do now is tie a couple of red "do not fly" streamers to each one, and I'm good to go. I love cheap.;)

I like having both foam plugs connected to each other with a rope that is draped over the spinner. I suspect starting the engine with the plugs in place would result in them being jerked out by the prop blades.
 
After a dirt dobber (hey, it's Mississippi; dauber wasp to you guys north of the Willie Dixon Line) built a giant incubation suite in my -4's carb inlet, I improvised with a chunk of carpet foam and some nylon twine. With a loop tied on the end of the twine and looped onto a prop blade, it's a failsafe for when uh.. IF one forgets to remove it. It does work. I'm told. :)

The -6 I just bought came with cowl & induction plugs, but no cord connecting them. I just ordered some paracord to connect them, so I'll have the 'auto-remove' feature.

BTW, that dauber nest incident happened inside a closed hangar. I caught another trying to build in the pilot side fresh air inlet of the -6, within days after we purchased it. If you live in the southern USA, be careful.
 
I have a Sam James cowl and a Nerf football cut in half works grrafor the cooling inlets and a small Nerf football plugs the carb inlet perfect.
 
Bruce's custom covers does good work for those - for both the Vans and James cowl.

I'm on my second set now - only because the first set failed the 80-pound white lab chew-toy test.
 
I am in the market for some plugs too. I like the "Bruce's Custom" product a lot in the photos. For the price delta between the Vans Covers and the Bruce's Covers ($100 difference, $55 vs $155) is there anyone who's seen both that can say there is $100 worth of difference?
 
A cheap alternative if you don?t need to use them every day - a large yellow sponge from Walmart and other places like you would use to wash your car. Shaped like a loose figure 8. Squish it a little and it fills the cowl inlet tightly. You can poke a hole in the middle for a cord/strap and secured with a little shoe goo to tie them together if you want. If you don?t use the cord mod, it serves as a cleaning tool for bugs when you get home. Let it dry and you?re ready to use it as a plug again. That?s been my method for years.
 
A cheap alternative if you don?t need to use them every day - a large yellow sponge from Walmart and other places like you would use to wash your car. Shaped like a loose figure 8. Squish it a little and it fills the cowl inlet tightly. You can poke a hole in the middle for a cord/strap and secured with a little shoe goo to tie them together if you want. If you don?t use the cord mod, it serves as a cleaning tool for bugs when you get home. Let it dry and you?re ready to use it as a plug again. That?s been my method for years.


Yep,----This sounds like exactly what I bought at Walmart. $1.99 each. Absolutely perfect fit for an RV 8. I also just bought two 16 inch "do not fly" red ribbon streamers to hang on the sponges. Those cost $7 each.:rolleyes: Oh well-----------------

By the way, after cleaning out the bird's nest, I jammed a couple of old tee shirts in the cowl openings, until I could find something permanent. So yesterday, I go back to my hangar to see if the sponges fit, and what do I find?? A couple of leaves up against one of the tee shirts. That little sucker had been back, trying to redo his handywork.:eek:
 
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