BC65 cowl question

[jrd]

Hi everyone. I and some friends have a restoratioin project going on, a '38 BC65. This is one of the (apparently) rare closed cowl models.

The question is about how the upper side cowl pieces mount. On this aircraft, there's a big chin piece, a top piece, and then two pieces over each pair of cylinders. The cylinder covers are each a top and bottom piece, with join just about the valve covers.

What we're puzzling over is how the aft corners of the upper cylinder pieces are secured. Each of these pieces has a hold about 6 inches from the aft end, suggesting that there may have been some kind of bracket, crossing over the crankcase. Or maybe angling back to the engine mount. Or something.

Anybody got hints or insight?

You can see pix of the parts more or less laid in place, with the holes visible, at http://www.jrd.org/nate/03-10-12/

Thanks in advance for any info.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: BC65 cowl question

Is this by any chance the cowl you are trying to reproduce? I think there were very few of these and this one went to Mexico.

[jrd]

Re: BC65 cowl question

Except for pic 5, yes.

The A/C we have was originally registered NC21232, the next one in sequence after the one in pix 1-4. S/N 1019.

I don't have the TC history in front of me, but I thought I remembered something to the effect that both 21231 and 21232 were bought by some guy in Oklahoma.

In any event, yes, we're pretty sure this is a rare one. The cowl shows many signs of being hand-made, fairly rough. I originally was guessing it was added later, as a field mod, until I found the part numbers(!) We've also heard rumors that this early cowl was adapted from one for an early aeronca, but haven't been able to find any hard evidence. Speculation is that this may be the earliest registered example of an A/C with this cowl.

Any further info about this early one? I'm pretty sure I can make it work by fabricating a bracket to go over the top of the crankcase, probably bolted to the lift eye. But it would be nice if we had a better idea how it was originally intended to go together.

Thanks...

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: BC65 cowl question

Looks like Chet's book has two more pictures of 21231 (front and side) on page 69. It says it is "similar" to Aeronca Chiefs and it "snapped" on over a regular open cowl. It also says it was not ORIGINALLY sold in Mexico but was reported to have ended up there. Photos are dated 8/20/38. That was just 3 days before the famous dope shed explosion that killed the painter at the factory so records for that week could be a problem. Things like minor history items tend to go un (or poorly) recorded when you just had a friend burned to death. It was a tight community then and this was a pretty traumatic event. He was about two months shy of his 20th birthday.
Interesting thing is the book says it held a Cont. engine but there are DUAL exhaust outlets! NOT the PITA connected exhaust that went into production.
Hank

[Howard Wilson]

Re: BC65 cowl question

The pics 1-4 look like maybe the 'up' exhaust engine. Possibly there was a bracket that attached to the exhaust pipes at the aft corners of the upper cylinder pieces. Kinda like the one holding the exhaust pipes going down on the early Lycoming powered birds... dunno, just guessin' h

[jrd]

Re: BC65 cowl question

Ah, good idea. This one started out with a 50hp continental with the up exhaust. It was later changed to a 65hp. The evidence (patched holes) is still there in the cowl.

Next time I'm at the shop I'll try that idea on for size.

[barnstmr]

Re: BC65 cowl question

looks like the bottom "chin" cowl and the lower nose cowl are very similar to the same shapes used on the BC-65 open cowl

[Ragwing nut]

Re: BC65 cowl question

Looks like Chet's book has two more pictures of 21231 (front and side) on page 69. It says it is "similar" to Aeronca Chiefs and it "snapped" on over a regular open cowl. It also says it was not ORIGINALLY sold in Mexico but was reported to have ended up there. Photos are dated 8/20/38. That was just 3 days before the famous dope shed explosion that killed the painter at the factory so records for that week could be a problem. Things like minor history items tend to go un (or poorly) recorded when you just had a friend burned to death. It was a tight community then and this was a pretty traumatic event. He was about two months shy of his 20th birthday.
Interesting thing is the book says it held a Cont. engine but there are DUAL exhaust outlets! NOT the PITA connected exhaust that went into production.
Hank

pic shows up exhaust which would make it an A50-3. I have or had a set of up exhaust and they are dual type. I do not think the single outlet exhaust came about until 40 or 41 with the introduction of the pressure cowl