I have a four door cowling setup, probably something like you describe,
with a total of eight piano hinges. I've been using undersize piano wire
for hinge pins, which rusts. Do you know the actual diameter of the
stainless wire you are using, and where do you get it?
Thanks
Jim Callahan
Rebel #180R
"Wayne G. O'Shea" wrote:
*----------------------------------------------------*Hello Bill and All, Wayne O'Shea here! I've been sitting in the back
ground reading the archives for quite some time and have decided to
join the list. Not sure if it's because the archives are not being
updated or that I'm tired of Bob picking on my compression spring
gear!(just kidding Bob everyone has their own opinon of everything) If
you have been to Oshkosh you have seen my work, 1st Rebel built from
April93 to June 1995 (976 hours crate to air) and flown to Oshkosh '95
only to be parked in row 136 waaaay down at the end of the field. The
last 3 years(2 of which won builders choice) you have seen Howard
Hanfords Rebel on Amphibious floats that I did considerable work on
and also fabricated and installed his floats. I have also built (in
less than 700 hours) an advanced ultralight model of the rebel(which
is no different that a full blown one other than no rear floor, the
wing spars are one gauge lighter and a Rotax 912). Currently doing
final assembly on a Rebel that was basically destroyed when cart
wheeled on floats. I have completely reconstructed this aircraft to
better than new condition with a 0 timed O-320-E2D(originally had a
Subaru) and a new Sensenich prop(ouch, 3 big bills). I also have my
original Rebel in my shop with the original O-235-C 100HP removed, and
currently reinforcing the firewall to take the 0 timed O-320-C2A I
have for it.(thats a O-320-B1 derated from 160hp to 150hp in case your
curious! The engine shop thought I was nuts, but have you ever tried
finding 100LL when you are on floats?). (my mags failed on the O-235-C
and it was a good enough excuse!) I removed the gear to facilitate
installing some new lower corner wraps and by the way Bob the pivot
holes in the gear legs are still as tight as they were in
1995. Cowlings!!!!! Oh yah! My original Rebel used the fiberglass nose
bowl and 4 aluminun doors. Beautiful for inspecting and working on the
aircraft. Does take considerable time to fabricate compared to the
speed cowl though. When you do the nose bowl, ring the bowl with a
40thou piece of aluminum sticking out about an inch to close the doors
onto. This allows them to be flush with the fiberglass and not sitting
on top of the fiberglass. Piano hinge wires were replaced with one
size smaller S.S. wires to facilitate easier installlation and
removal. My nose bowl is still crackless to this point in time, don't
imagine A/C spruces supplier lays it up any better. Price would be the
key. Howard Hanfords rebel(oshkosh winner) has the speed cowl and the
way Howard had me do it is a pain in the butt when you want to remove
it! Especially at the dock(a tarp has to be spread between floats to
make sure none of the camlocks are lost in the lake) The ultralight
rebel has a lower fiberglass section and then 2 aluminum doors on top.
Works quite well as long as you sling the radiator on the 912 and
mount the oil cooler to the engine so the lower section can be
removed. Murphy's manual has you mount the rad and the cooler to the
cowling so you will never remove it again!!!! The rebuild that I just
put the O-320-E2D onto was done using the speed cowl. Piano hinges
installed on the inside of the cowl, with the hinge wire slipped
through the very nose of the cowl down each side to peg the 2 halfs
together. Then AN525-1032 screw around the firewall. This is better
than Howards, but still not as nice as the original old piper type
nose bowl and 4 doors. With the old style cowl you can even change the
oil without removing any of the cowl. Just open a lower door! So if
you want sleek looks and no measurable speed increase install the
speed cowl(although you will never open it up to do maintenance until
its to late!) If you want an installation that allows you to easily do
preflights, maint. etc use the bowl and doors. But, as we all get
lazy, still install an oil door in the right top door panel for an
easy quick oil check! Enough rambling, don't know how often I will be
checking in with my work schedule, but hope I helped somehow. I will
be sending one more e-mail seperately today regarding the tail post.
Oh ya, E-mails scaring people that are working along at a good pace(2
1/2 weeks and well into a wing) and telling them it's going to take
3000 hours don't help moral for getting the job done! Total time
depends on certain levels of mechanical inclindness(if thats a word).
I built my first street rod by the time I was turning 15 and had to
wait a year to be able to drive it. I graduated with honours in
Electro-Mechanical Engineering and have been working with my hands
daily to this date. This background allows me to build at the rate I
do(and I also run an Injection Moulding Company). When all the
airframe parts are done(wings, tail feathers and fuselage) you are
basically half way there! The other half is you engine installation,
panel installation,struts, fairings and wing tips. So base your total
time by this. A paint job tackled by yourself with an experience
helper will add another 2 or 3 weeks to your aircraft, but do it now
as you will be having so much fun flying it, you will never paint
it!!!!!!! I have a large variety of aircraft at my disposal to fly
including some Ex-Yugoslavian airforce recon. aircraft. 340 H.P
Supercharged STOL Monsters, but none are as fun to fly s the trusty
old Rebel so keep on plugging away! Regards, Wayne G. O'Shea
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