I'm about to begin working on page 28-07 and am wondering if the cowl hinge shims and attach plates are necessary given that I'll be using Skybolt Camlocs around the full perimeter of the cowling.
Understood on the shims; thanks, guys.
Do I need to install the attach plates now or will Skybolt's interlocking flanges take their place down the road? If so, is it okay to leave the various skins around the firewall clecoed until it's time to install the Camlocs next spring/summer?
The skins around the firewall (and hinges, shims, and camlock strips) become a bigger challenge once the engine mount is installed. Basically, it becomes impossible (nothing is impossible, but...) to drive or squeeze a rivet in close proximity to the 4 or 6 engine mount points that are near the perimeter of the firewall.
I'm not sure what you mean by attach plates...
The Skybolt flanges will sub for the attach plates but you MUST rivet them on before the engine mount gets permanently attached as there is no room to set the rivets afterwards. Remember too that no matter what, you still have about 14 or so screws on the bottom that screw into the support plate that surrounds the nose gear leg so unless you find a way to replace those with more Skybolt fasteners, you wont be completely screwless.
Even if it's not possible, at least the bottom cowl doesn't have to come off very often. Heck, even the upper cowl gets two screws on each side behind the spinner, right?
I'm about to begin working on page 28-07 and am wondering if the cowl hinge shims and attach plates are necessary given that I'll be using Skybolt Camlocs around the full perimeter of the cowling.
The shims are needed to compensate for the thickness of the fiberglass cowling vs the thickness of the skin/piano hinge sandwich. The Skybolt will still need the shims installed - you just consider their thickness to substitute for the piano hinge thickness.
Yes. Without those shims, the cowl will not be a flush match with the sheet metal at the firewall.
Understood on the shims; thanks, guys.
Do I need to install the attach plates now or will Skybolt's interlocking flanges take their place down the road? If so, is it okay to leave the various skins around the firewall clecoed until it's time to install the Camlocs next spring/summer?
The Skybolt flanges will sub for the attach plates but you MUST rivet them on before the engine mount gets permanently attached as there is no room to set the rivets afterwards. Remember too that no matter what, you still have about 14 or so screws on the bottom that screw into the support plate that surrounds the nose gear leg so unless you find a way to replace those with more Skybolt fasteners, you wont be completely screwless.
Good info; thanks. I wasn't aware of those bottom screws. I'll have to look at it closely when the time comes to see whether I might substitute some additional Camlocs. Even if it's not possible, at least the bottom cowl doesn't have to come off very often. Heck, even the upper cowl gets two screws on each side behind the spinner, right?
Hopefully you are not going to all of the extra expense and labor just to have a more easily removable top cowl......
I would wager that I can remove a built per plans RV-14 top cowl , just as fast as someone can remove one installed with camlocks.
And if camlocks aren't used on the gear leg close out plate, the removal of the bottom cowl probably wouldn't be much different either.
Opinions on quarter turns vs. hinges aside, you've made the right decision for you. Congratulations! Others can build according to what works for them.