2 thoughts on “Chap 23 – Melvill’s carbon fiber cowlings

  1. Wade,
    I noticed that you built your aircraft around the part and not the other way around. Did you have to modify the carbon engine cowls any to make it work for you? I hear feather light does a wonderful job on these cowls, but I wanted to hear it form one of there customers. Thanks…

    Matt Noe

    • Hi Matt,

      First off, I wish I could answer your question completely because it would mean that my engine was mounted and my cowlings were finished! But alas, I’m not at that stage. So as to modifying the cowls I haven’t hit that point yet. But since Mike Melvill converted his bird from a bottom NACA scoop to these cowls, meaning the fuselage/firewall junction is 4″ lower than a regular LEZ, I do know that I’ll have to add 4″ to the bottom of the firewall and fill in the fuselage area below the hellhole. I plan to make this area somewhat useable space, so it doesn’t really concern me, except for losing the more tapered sleek bottom cowl look that you see on a lot of EZs. In essence these CF cowls give you the same profile as an EZ with a NACA scoop, only with armpit cooling. Also, Melvill changed his engine mount to attach to the OUTSIDE of the upper longerons, so there are “shoulders” on the top cowling that require ramps to built just aft of the GIB canopy area and at the fuselage/cowling junction. I also plan to make those usable space as well.

      I guess the bottom line for me is that having the cowls before hand lets me implement design factors into the fuselage & firewall to optimize the final fit & finish of these cowls. And I can definitely tell you these cowls are light and high quality.

      Cheers,
      Wade

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