1940 BL-65 cowling

[Ken McC]

I’m more confused than ever about the correct cowling for 1940 tcraft. Mine has been swapped around so much, some documented and some not. I have BL-65 with lyc still on it with a butchered up job if someone trying to put a open cowl on it. I have been buying stuff to convert to a cont engine but have more lyc stuff. Does anyone have a complete pressure (Closed) cowl with complete baffling for lyc engine set up? Thanks in advance.

[wmfife]

Mine came missing two of the holes in the hinged (clamshell) portion for Dzus fasteners that attach to the nose bowl, making flights interesting seeing the cowl "bow" in the wind. So I purchased a later set of clamshells off eBay I think were for a BC12D. These do have the complete Dzus fittings set but some of the others don't line up with the lower (chin) cowl so its a tradeoff. Either way it's gotta go in the shop but while the original doesn't have an internal stiffener this one does. Just needs paint... unless yours is white.
One way or the other I can't use them both so will end up selling one off. It's a closed-cowl 1941 with original Lycoming O-145.
1940 as I understand was transitional with some open and others closed. Taylor was experimenting why the lack of consistency. To my knowledge the production closed cowls for Lyc, Franklin and Continental by then were no different other than exhaust and baffling.