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New Cowling Update
- Thread starter carllee
- Start date
- Aircraft Year
- 1974
- Aircraft Type
- 112 Hot Shot
- Reg Number
- N1144J
- Serial Number
- 186
Do you think there's a need for it? It seems like the 114B/115 cowls are holding up pretty well. They were definitely made much better. Fiberglass technology, and technique advanced pretty rapidly in the 80's and 90's.
fia
New member
Herning, Denmark
- Aircraft Type
- Other
Carl, the 115 cowling is sturdy and mechanically in pretty good shape, but very heavy. It would be nice with a lighter version to help with the CG. Aerodynamically the upper half is OK, but lower part is rubbish without attention to detail - imho.
- Aircraft Year
- 1974
- Aircraft Type
- 112 Hot Shot
- Reg Number
- N1144J
- Serial Number
- 186
fia
New member
Herning, Denmark
- Aircraft Type
- Other
20 lbs lighter in the front would be lovely on the nose heavy 114TC's. The finish is good enough, but the shape is wrong and not fitting the fuselage seamless. The cowl flaps are not aligned and in shape with cowling. Every irregularity takes speed and there is 20 kts up to a Bonanza where they could have found much inspiration.
Toronto, Ontario
- Aircraft Year
- 1998
- Aircraft Type
- 114B/115
- Reg Number
- C-GODZ
- Serial Number
- 14659
Carl ... Seems to me that if (and when), the factory starts producing new birds, they're going to need a better cowl. The other issue, is the lack of a winterization kit (my old 112TCA had a factory winterization kit, which reduced the cowl flap outlet). Really important up here in the Great White North. I know that some folks strap foam around the oil cooler, but that sounds like a really bad idea (to me). Food for thought.
- Aircraft Year
- 1974
- Aircraft Type
- 112 Hot Shot
- Reg Number
- N1144J
- Serial Number
- 186
The best I've seen is an aluminum door, that slides in a track, controlled by a vernier, covering/uncovering the oil cooler. Very clean and simple. Something like that would be nice for our birds.
Kitchener, Ontario
- Aircraft Year
- 1972
- Aircraft Type
- 112/A
- Reg Number
- Previous owner of C-FFOM
Ours is more manual but simpler than that ! We have a thin aluminum plate with a smaller opening than the face of the oil cooler. In the late fall, take out the top two bolts on the cooler, loosen the bottom two and sandwich the plate in there. Reverse in the spring. Works a charm 
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