Engine cowlings
Before we started with the engine cowling we need to be sure the engine mount is oke, so we did a W&B check Otherwise we
need to recalculate the engine mount and modify it. Everything was satisfied.
First we put the engine in front op the plane and designed the upper line. On top of the BMW there is an alternator. We have to make a
bulge on top of the cowling for this one.
Lined the fuselage at the side and draw a side line in the jig for the engine cowling. Nice detail, we removed the
cylinder head caps. At this way we have enough space to design a straight line. Later on we make a bulge for the cylinder head.
As you can see, in front of the plane is the dolly for the engine mount. We made a second nose section so we can
work at a different location.
Even the forward thurtledeck fits. Now we can design the cowling lines at our second building Location.
At the second location the engine is on again, starting with designing the real lines.
Taped off the open cylinder head.
Started sanding...hate that job.
We used carbon fibre. The special table method ( Learned from MARK L), put the cloth on a big smooth table, make it
wet with epoxy, squeeze after a few minutes all epoxy resin out of the cloth, put a plastic foil over it and than pull the cloth
including the plastic foil from the table. At this way your cloth stays stable. Put it at the part till it is at the right position
and than remove the plastic foil. This works perfect.
3 layers 200gr/m cf cloth. I think next time I, or you, can make it in 2 layers and at the connection points 3 layers is
enough. It saves you weight.
After a few days we have a very hard plug. We put it direct in the micro slurry and did already the sanding.
Cut it open.
Removed all the foam
Left a bit foam. Maybe we will cover this with carbon in the near future for extra stiffness.
Cut two holes at the cylinder position.
And a nice space for the heads.
So glad I can use some tooling from the company I work for.
Final result.
Before we do the rest of filling and sanding, we did a heat treatment for the carbon. We used the sauna (thanks brother) to go
for a cicle to 100 degrees Celsius increasing the temp 8 degree every hour..... very hard carbon is the result.
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