Busy October

It has been a busy month.  This is post 23.  The cowling is about finished.  Wade has the windows in and boot cowl done.  Just a few more things to do before the weighing.  Here is the latest:

Bottom cowl piece

Right side piece

Left side piece

Wade finished the gear fairing attachment and closed the inspection doors

Boot cowl complete

Wade was over today and glued the front windows in.  They have been installed since sometime last week and never cracked.  Fingers crossed this will be it.  He also finished the boot cowl installation, doing the rivets on the bottom side.

The big picture side view

Bottom of boot cowl….a panel will cover the remaining opening

Pilot side window glued in

Copilot side window glued in

Black paint on

This afternoon I got the black paint onto the V-77 engine cowling.  I’ll let that dry about a week and then spray the gold.

Ready for final paint

I fixed the ceiling on my paint booth…some of the tape had detached after 2 years.  I then taped over all the holes and other areas on the cowling panels I don’t want black paint to reach.  I then used a Scotch Brite pad to scuff up the primer, and then cleaned everything with C2210 paint surface cleaner.  Tomorrow midday I will spray the black enamel paint….provided the weather cooperates.

Everything in the paint booth ready to go

Cowling home

We made a major milestone today bringing the V-77 engine cowling back home.  Before that event, I added new leather seals and we tried to join the cowling pieces together.  We discovered we need to get some longer connectors, especially where we have extra layers of material from the various fixes.  I also spent time cutting the steel for the air filter box and making the pieces for mounting it.  Mark will weld it up in the next day or so.  We have a kit coming from Bracket Filters that will fit into this box.  We have a few days of rain coming, so I will get the cowling ready for final paint.

Cowling pieces loaded in the back of the car

Leather seals added

Cowling complete 

Prime time

We installed the receptacles for the Air Locks this morning on the V-77 lower engine cowl piece.  Next up was to put some bondo in a few places.  I sprayed some primer while we waited for the bondo to set.  After sanding the bondo, I primed the outside of that cowling piece.  Mark painted the inside of the cowling pieces with 2 coats of white and we called it a day.  We may wrap up tomorrow!

Left side upper cowl piece with white paint 

Other two cowl pieces with white paint

Outside right side primed

Lower cowl piece primed

Left side cowl piece primed

Mark sanding the bondo smooth

Air lock receptacles riveted in

Ready to connect the pieces

It was another short day working on the V-77 engine cowling.  I used the afternoon’s free time to get the grass mowed…maybe one last time this season.  Mark already had the welds ground down on the air scope when I arrived this morning.  We spent the rest of the morning installing the fastening hardware and also patching two minor cracks.  The remaining Air Lock hardware arrived today at Air Parts and I will pick it up on the way to Halstead tomorrow morning.  This hardware will allow us to connect all of the cowling pieces together.  I also got a start on an air filter box in the mail today from my friend Randy in Minneapolis.  That should help the process along.

Air box pieces

Air scoop with welds ground down

Two patches over cracks plus some hardware at the top

New scoop welded on

It was a short day working on the V-77 engine cowling. Mark welded in the piece we fashioned last week. Next up is to grind it down smooth. Stay tuned.

Welding complete 

Mark TIG welding

Before we started

Keeping the bugs out

I ordered some pitot covers a few days ago and they arrived today.  I already have one on my pitot tube to keep bugs out.  Wade suggested a while back I should consider some type of cover for the fuel tank vents.  Of course, I didn’t act quick enough and actually had something build a mud nest in the right tank vent.  I also spent some time tonight getting the upper gear leg fairings re-installed and then added the wing strut to fuselage fairings.

Fairings reinstalled 

Fuel vent with cover attached.  As you pick up speed,
the air pushes the top paddle back, opening the vent.

  

Nearing the end of cowling work

It was another action packed day working on the V-77 engine cowlings.  We attached the last patch on the third cowling piece.  We had previously fit it in place and clecoed it in.  We used ProSeal on it to fill any gaps, though it made the riveting messy.  A little MEK cleaned that up.  I primed the second cowling piece and some small hardware after lunch and then Mark got busy on the air scoop.  We had previously fixed all of the fasteners on the scoop, but there was still an ugly fix someone had previously made.  They had welded an area at the front of the scoop, and apparently did not know how to weld aluminum.  Mark cut that section out, and then proceeded to make a new piece to fit in.  We ran out of time, but next up is to weld that in place and then grind the weld.  We also located the AirLocks today with a wider reach…this should be here early next week and will allow connecting all of the cowling pieces.  Getting close to done!

New piece cut and shaped

This is the hole we needed to partially fill

You can see the ugly weld previously done on the air scoop

Piece 2 of cowling primed

Small parts primed

Outside of last patch

Inside view of last patch 

Cowling work continues

I picked up the windows at Lewis Street Glass before heading to Halstead for more V-77 cowling work today.  Mark spent time fashioning a piece of wood to use to make a joggle in one of the patches to allow the upper hinge to lay flat.  It worked great and everything fit perfectly.  He also welded the locking mechanism as the holes had elongated over time.

Patch riveted on

Patch held with clecoes 

Cowling pieces coming together

We finished the second panel of the V-77 engine cowling this morning.  We had a second patch to finish shaping and installing.  Then it was on to the third and last panel of the cowling.  We made a patch which has a “joggle” on all four sides.  We got it drilled but decided to wait until tomorrow to rivet it in.  There is one more patch to make and then we will install the AirLocks and see how it all fits together.

Patch held in with clecoes 

Backside of patch

Patch with joggle on all 4 sides 

Two cowling pieces done

Patch riveted in in second cowling piece

Patch in previous picture held in with clecoes

Cowlings taking shape

I dropped off the window templates at Lewis Street Glass before heading to Halstead for another day of V-77 engine cowling fun.  Mark had dug out his English wheel over the weekend.  It is an amazing device for bending metal when in the proper hands.  We spent most of the morning shaping and fitting the new cowling piece.  After lunch we got busy drilling holes and riveting.  Mark was shaping the next piece as I was leaving.  It is smaller and not as complex.

New piece installed

The final shape…note the back edge is made to
fit under the existing cowling

Mark using the English wheel

Threshold installed

I installed the threshold I bent into shape at Mark’s earlier this week.  It looks good.  I also added some no-slip tread to the steps to prevent slips when shoes are wet.

You can see the tread on the steps

The threshold is the shiny part about the steps

Lots of progress

I started the day going to Century Instruments.  The compass I had interfered with the right side lower window retainer.  Wade had one that fit, but it needed overhauled.  Century had one just like Wade’s, but ready to go.  So, I got that one.  Then off to Halstead for more V-77 cowling fun.  Mark showed me where there was a crack I needed to make a patch for.  I made the patch and drilled the holes.  Mark helped with the riveting.  Mark removed a large area (about 10” by 12”) on the cowling that was cracked and had other issues.  He then fashioned a patch.  He used a planishing hammer to put the compound curve into the flat aluminum.  Along the way he did some metal shrinking using a “pickle fork” and a pair of weird pliers that put creases in the metal.  He would then run it through the planishing hammer to smooth things out.  Impressive to watch.  He said he may get his English wheel out for the next one.  While I was away, Wade was over and riveted the boot cowl to the firewall.  Things are coming together!

Boot cowl riveted to firewall

Patch Mark made

Using the planishing hammer to smooth things out

Crimping the metal with pliers to shrink the edge

Noisy but effective!

This is the hole we needed to make a patch for

Mark cutting out a section of the cowling

The patch I made