Re: Universal Cowling
When I acquired 4JA the first thing my wife asked was, 'is there something we could do about the ugly spider cracks running along the top of the upper cowl' (around the oil access panel). After a few flights through some heavy rain I now have 'chunks' of glass falling off in various spots that I've attempted to cover with decals . .
So when you announced your cowl setup I'm elated for the opportunity to address that 'old' (40 yr old) eyesore that's in real need of attention.
While the little guy on my right shoulder is dancing a jig
- his counterpart on my left shoulder is clinching his fists and wanting more
. . . .
I think I speak for most of the line guys out here. (and just my 2 cents) but what we'd prefer to get (and if necessary pay for) is a completed setup. Not a project requiring another project.
At a minimum I'd like pre-made;
- Fasteners for the upper to lower. (What are the thoughts about a hinge / rod setup?) I personally like my original type 'cabinet latch' w/dzus in the inlet for ease but screws would work as well.
- Oil and gasolater access panels
- Exhaust Ports
I would leave the lower side scoops (oil cooler and air) as an option.
Same for the gear doors
I'm just having a hard time visualizing my 'local' maintenance team cutting and gluing away on my brand new cowls . . .
I really appreciate your / any efforts in providing a solution to the cowl demand. And maybe after a few members report back on how their mod's went I'll change my tune . . .
Thanks!!,
John
Hi John,
Thanks for making this post. It brings up a lot of important points, and gets to the heart of a lot of my thoughts, concerns, and challenges with this project.
The problems we are facing with the original cowlings are multi faceted.
1) They are old. 40 plus years old.
2) They weren't that well made. There are numerous flaws in them and the surface is very wavy. (unfortunately the B cowlings are not that great either – kinda a missed opportunity for Commander - oh well!)
3) They are not “really” repairable. The fiberglass work is very poor. There's a dry layer in the middle, if you cut into one of them you will find that the fiberglass in the middle was not properly impregnated with resin, so what you end up with is an inner and outer shell that expands and contracts at different rates. This results in cracking. You can fill the cracks over and over as much as you like, but they will always return.
4) To grind down the surface, and rebuild the structure of the existing cowl would require such an extensive amount of work that it would be no different than producing a whole new one.
The challenges in building a new cowl are also multi faceted.
1) The oil filler doors are in different places on the 112 vs the 114.
2) The exhaust exit ports are in different places on the 112 vs the 114.
3) The Hot Shots don't have a landing light nacelle.
4) The 112 Supers don't need a left scoop.
5) The 114 Supers don't need a right or left scoop.
6) The Camarillo Aircraft 114's have naca scoops.
7) Some would like to eliminate their scoops and go with the 114B arrangement.
For me to address all of these needs individually would be impossible to accomplish with my limited budget, and would take the project way outside the boundaries of “Universal”. Once I get outside the realm of offering a universal platform that an owner can build into a part to suit his own individual needs, and start offering a part that a purchaser can take home and install without any modification, I've crossed the line into needing to get FAA certification. This would be a 5 year+ $100K+ project. The Commander market would never return the investment (I doubt I will ever get back what I have already invested in this project). I started this years ago when I had higher hopes for the Commander fleet. They are very nice airplanes – I love mine, but there simply aren't enough of them, and the values are too low to make pursuing a project like this any further feasible. It's the best I can do.
I am working on a latch system that would be better than the original, and better than the hinge, or screw arrangement. But, it may not pass your mechanic's scrutiny for “Same As”, so, for some, going back to the original might be the only option.
I should have started out at the beginning of this thread by saying "these are just a platform to give you a head-start in making an owner produced part to replace a part of your plane that is beyond repair". It's designed for a skilled mechanic/craftsman.
Thanks again for your post
