Del-Air modified cowling work pictures

[EB97c]

This is for folks who've done the Del-Air STC and modified their cowling. Does anyone have pictures, before and after, as to how they attached the fiberglass to the airbox?

Something my sheet metal guy has not done and some pictures would be very helpful. Thank you!

If you don't have pictures your two cents is also appreciated.

[Vertical]

I have no photos, but would love to see some of yours as you progress through the project…

[daedaluscan]

I don’t have any pictures on hand but I will search. I took the doubler out of the inside of the air scoop, and then added a simple strap to the front lip as there were several cracks.

The cowling was the toughest part of the whole install for me, I had a real hard time getting the two sides of the fibreglass cowl to match the split between upper and lower cowl. Ended up about 3/16” off from one side to he other. I am not an experienced sheet metal person. What I am pleased about is that two years and 200 hours later no cracking.

I think some of the Alaska guys actually ditch the cowling scoop and replace it with flat sheet metal. This makes the air filter sit at a slightly higher angle but looks neater. Not sure of approval route.

When I talked with Chris at Delair he said there were two nose bowls, I think for CS and fixed pitch.

[ghostflyer]

I did my conversion when Harry was alive and there wasn’t any talk of different nose bowls for fixed pitch or constant speed engines . . I spat the dummy regarding the lower cowl. My old lower cowl had more cracks and repairs in it and none of them documented so it is now sitting on a shelf in the hangar. Around the intake on the lower cowl I counted 3 repairs on top of each other. A lot of cowls were on the market but were damaged due to nose overs.So I made my lower cowl out of 3 pieces and then riveted them together . The best thing is make one out of thick cardboard first . Use it as a template . I joined the lower nose bowl with the aluminium sheeting [lower cowl] with PRC 1422 [or some thing similar ] and then riveted it together . My nose bowl wasn’t the highest quality fibre glass design or construction. Around the inside of the intakes holes ,I soaked some poly propene rope in resin [epoxy] and then using matt reinforced the rope in position. Unfortunately I hit [no he hit me ] a Pelican on the R/H cooling air intake . The top fibre glass intake bowl started to collapse [another repair from bird strike ] . 4 of the attach screws on the upper cowl where it joins the fuselarge near the windscreen sheared off.
PS. My lower cowl is documented as an extensive repair carried out .

[GAHorn]

“I spat the dummy”…. is that an Australian specification…???

A good old method of repairing/reinforcing cowling nose-bowl openings is to use ordinary steel wire/coat-hangar to form inside the opening edges…. and JB-Weld it in-place. Hidden from view and works a long time.

[EB97c]

I have no photos, but would love to see some of yours as you progress through the project…

I'll send you some when I finish