Thanks Tim for the Tips....
 
 
I started on the air box last night with the cut out for the carb accelerator pump on the base plate  ( i had enough of sanding the cowls for the moment )    
I must say the instructions for the air box are pretty vague but i guess there are a few combinations of installation depending on induction type.  
 A bit of surfing the construction sites should help.
 
In terms of the lower cowl i know what you mean about getting it on and off without damaging the paint (when it has it)  
Each time i take it off and put it back on it gets easier although i am doing this single handed i have developed a knack for installing it  but I am sure i will have to modify the air box so that it removes easily

Quote from Mark Browning on 18.03.2009 at 10:00:04:

 
While I think about it. Don't spend time making it tight around the gear legs. As you will need to clear the leg fairings. They stick forward and you need to take the cowl DOWN - as the spinner/prop stops you taking it forward. So the gap around the legs is large. It's covered by the cowl-leg fairings. Tip here is to NOT BUY the Vans ones.
 
http://www.fairings-etc.com/gear%20leg,%20wheel%20pant,%20nose%20gear.htm - this fit with NO MORE WORK!! So when you are sick of working on the cowl these don't require more than fitting. As for the Vans ones.... If you really wanted some....... I have a set you could have for FREE..... I would not dare charge for them!!
 
Tim

Tim  
whats your thoughts on the wing fairing ? would this be considered a mod from the LAA  point of view ?  

I have been working with this gap for a week or so now i used a 1/8th spacer between the top cowl and the spinner and then trimmed the cowl back so it fits with the 1/8th gap.
I know the gap should be 1/4 inch but once i have the bottom cowl fitting just as i want it i was then going to sand another 1/8th off both cowls. Do you think that the 1/4 inch gap will be too small?
The last thing i want is to be touching the cowl paint up every time i have to remove it !!  
 
Yow will be right about the LAA and aeros so i will just keep it standard here  
Cheers  
 
Mark  
 
 
 
 
 
 

The plans give 1/4" and i am currently getting towards that ( i started off with 1/8" )  
I already installed the alternator and don't have any cowl clearance issues here so no problem edging the cowl back a tad.  
 
I  didn't want to  use the piano hinge so i have decided to go for the Milspec fasteners  
http://www.milspecproducts.com/
They are expensive at $600 for the full set,  but make a really nice job, they makes it really easy to get the cowls on and off, plus i didn't want the hinge coming out of the front of the cowl  
 
What gap would you suggest top leave for paint between the two cowls & firewall  
 
Cheers  
Mark  
.... ps it would be better to split this to a cowl  

Tim  
I was going to use Milspec  fasteners for the whole of the cowl but now as i have almost got the cowl where i am very happy with it  
i am now considering using the piano hinge to join the side of the top and bottom cowl together.  
If i do go this route  i would pass the hinge through the fire wall rather than coming through the front of the cowl ? has anyone any experience in doing this and what would be best to seal around the pin if i did pass it through the firewall ?  
 
 

And finally .....
 
Yesterday i got the cowl to a point where i am happy; i have lost count of how many times these things have been on and off; So to celebrate i ordered a full set of Milspec cowling fasteners. not cheap at $669 but will make the cowls easy to remove and refit.
I did have an issue with the lower cowl probably my fault even though i always triple measure before sanding steadily;    any way i ended  up with the lower cowl not lining up with the bottom edge of the firewall.  
 
I had to build up the right hand side of lower cowl side which took me about a week or so then yesterday made some final sanding adjustments if you have done cowl fitting you will probably know what i am talking about.
The cowls themselves are really good but have thousands of pin holes especially where the honeycomb sections are. If you research on the net there are loads of different approaches to fill these some of which appear to be very time consuming so here is what i did with mine....
 
1) Used 60 grit to sand over the cowls  
2) Mixed some epoxy and lightly brushed the epoxy over 1/4 of the cowl at a time
3) Mixed up some micro balloons and using a credit card piece of plastic ( the wife's credit card !! ) scraped over the cowl until a nice even coat just enough to fill the holes.
4) Next day sanded down the cowls followed by some wet sanding  
5) Shot some acid etch primer and when dried i wet scotched (grey ) to a smooth finish  
 
Apart from the odd pinhole that i misssed which  will get filled with stopper, that's pretty much ready for final primer and paint.
So until my Milspec order arrives I turned my attention back to the canopy. I decided to drop the instrument panel back in to make sure there were no interference issues nope ! every thing is good ...and with the weather getting warmer i am planning to cut the bubble in the next week or so!    
 

 

Mark,
 
Looks like you are making good progress.  
 
If you have not. Rivet up the sub panel and as much as you feel comfortable with before cutting and fitting the canopy frame. As it does move the front canopy position.
 
Tim