Lower Cowl, Gear Cutouts & Gear Fairing Pictures

I am wrestling with the right balance for trimming the cowl cutouts and top of the gear fairings to allow installation of the lower cowl.


If I lift the cowl parallel or nose high, it binds on the gear fairings as it is lifted (while the nose is against the prop). I will worry about scratches later, for now it needs to fit.

How did you do this - any pictures, links?

Bill, I thought you were building a 7A but perhaps a 7? I can get some detailed pics of my setup on my 7 tomorrow afternoon if it helps.

crabandy said:

Bill, I thought you were building a 7A but perhaps a 7? I can get some detailed pics of my setup on my 7 tomorrow afternoon if it helps.

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That would help greatly, Andy. Yes it is, indeed, a tail dragger. I am attempting to keep the hole in the cowl minimized at the gear legs, but still get the cowl installed. No guidance has been found on relieving the gear fairings to help.

All I have currently is my second version of my transition fairings on my build log, page 26:
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=94648&page=26

It's been a while but if I remember correctly the cowling cutouts only have to clear the steel gear legs and I trimmed the gear leg fairings down to make it work. The intersection fairings provide plenty of overlap to cover the gap between the fuse and gear leg fairings. I'll try to get some detailed pics tomorrow afternoon.

Sorry Bill, work got in the way and it'll be mid-day tomorrow for I can get pics.

crabandy said:

Sorry Bill, work got in the way and it'll be mid-day tomorrow for I can get pics.

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No worries, Andy. When you get to it. The clue about cutting down the gear fairing helps.

Finally got some pics.....my cowling cutout is probably bigger than it needs to be, it's slightly larger than a tall boy. My O-360 has vertical induction, may be slightly easier to fit the lower cowl with horizontal induction. I may still cut the top of my gear leg fairings down more, I have to slightly push and coax my cowl behind the spinner.
To mount my lower cowl I usually tilt the aft side up slightly and set the cutouts on the gear leg fairings first. Then I gently coax the front up behind the spinner and FAB. Then I can hold the front in place while I slide the vertical hinge pins in place on the aft side.













I made my own transition fairings so size may vary, you can still see leftover clay I'll clean up someday. The tape line references the bottom of the transition fairing.

Awesome!

Thanks Andy more than I hoped. The dimensions will be very helpful. I am waaaay to tight to the gear and too high with the fairing.

Now I have to go procure a few of those cool cylindrical templates.