Stretching the Cowling

I thought it would be cool if I could lengthen the nose a little. I started by ordering a 7" prop extension from Saber Manufacturing. I also added the 60 tooth wheel that I'll need for the new electronic fuel injection system.















By the way, I was concerned about the trigger wheel rusting. One of the guys on the Q-200 Engine list mentioned Brownells Gun-Kote. I got a can off Ebay and followed the distructions. That is neat stuff and it worked great.














I really didn't want to take on making an entire new cowling, so I decided to just stretch the old one.


I sketched a few lines on the cowling of where I thought the cut should be.












It was kind of weird after I cut it up. It just seemed too easy to destroy it and the pieces that were left over seemed so pitiful.











I kind of jigged the two pieces in place where I thought they ought to go, then I used two-part foam to build a base for the glass repair. I got to dig out the Milwaukee Sawsall again, as I carved it out.


I put on two pieces on BID glass on the outside layup.




Once that cured, it was Sawsall time again as I removed the backing foam. Sanded the inside, then applied three layers of BID. It seems a little heavy, I probably would have been fine with two layers.

I'm pretty satisfied with it. The lower cowl will be trickier but I'm going to hold off on that until I get the new induction system, oil sump and fuel rail rigged up.