How many cowl fasteners?

[baldeagle27]

How many Boeing fasteners are there on an open cowl '39 BC-65??




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[barnstmr]

Re: How many cowl fasteners?

Andrew... Short Answer - 8

Not sure that ours is original, but here are the Details...

1 - Center top aft at firewall
1 - Center bottom " "
2 - LH side behind rocker covers approx 5 inches apart
2 - RH " " " "
1 LH side lower at firewall - approx 14 inches down from top/bottom split line
1 - RH " " " "

The 2 attachpoints at front are like a cub.

I have a few photos too large to attach.. email me and I will send

[email protected]

[Howard Wilson]

Re: How many cowl fasteners?

Hi Andrew,
I've been looking into this too. Every one I've seen has been different. Here's a few pics I took at the AAA meeting this year. Just for reference.

[Howard Wilson]

Re: How many cowl fasteners?

This 'T', within a few #'s of mine, probably built early January 1939. Pics taken at AAA Blakesburg this year.

[Howard Wilson]

Re: How many cowl fasteners?

One more. Small hole, lower right is for Curtiss valve access.

[baldeagle27]

Re: How many cowl fasteners?

Thanks Howard and Terry, I'm still collecting (slowly!) parts to turn my airplane back to what it was in 1939, but keeping the Continental of course (It was a BL). I want to get the Boeing fasteners from Dick Huish so want to determine how many I need. That lower cowl is out at the airport and I haven't been to the hanger in a couple of weeks, need to check it as well. I've been looking at photos on http://www.alliancememory.org/cdm4/b...ROOT=%2Ftaylor and it looks like the BL-65s and BC-50s used 12 fasteners total (sometimes plus an extra on an access door). There doesn't seem to be any photos of a factory built open cowl BC-65, just ones of up exhaust BC-50s with open cowl and BC-65s with closed cowl. Open cowl BC-65s must'be been rare birds. There are photos of NC23615 on August 5, 1939 with the "new cowl", the closed type.

Interesting how some of the BC pictures you posted, and Terry's list, have a stud in the front like a Cub, haven't seen any evidence of that in old photos, but seems like maybe a good idea. Although I wonder if the engine moving on its rubber mounts would try to move the cowl against the fasteners on the firewall. Some of the old photos, and apparently Bob C's cowl over in New Market, have two extra slots for Boeing fasteners a few inches below the joint at the front behind the prop, wonder what those are for.




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[baldeagle27]

Re: How many cowl fasteners?

BC-50 cowl:

http://www.alliancememory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT

DC-65 cowl, note extra slots labelled "test cowl only":

http://www.alliancememory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?

Extra slots are just visible on this photo, a few inches under the prop cut out:

http://www.alliancememory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?

(edit) now why don't those links work? Anyway, you can browse through the photos and find them. Last one is on page 26.




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[Rick Hadley]

Re: How many cowl fasteners?

Thanks for the link to Alliance Memory. What a great collection of photos!!!

[Ragwing nut]

Re: How many cowl fasteners?

Most all the original "B" cowls I have had had 4 fastners on the front. "D" had 2 and were narrower.

[Howard Wilson]

Re: How many cowl fasteners?

Hi Andrew,

Those 'extra' two slots on the lower Lyc. cowl connect to the Lyc. engine mount. I'll post some photos.

[Howard Wilson]

Re: How many cowl fasteners?

Like this: The Lyc. mount runs all the way to the nose, and crosses under the prop shaft as it exits the case. So the fasteners that hold the front lower cowl are directley connected to the airframe ie: no shocks.

[Ragwing nut]

Re: How many cowl fasteners?

Franklin mounts are alomost identical to the Lycoming except the placement of the engine case mounts.

[barnstmr]

Re: How many cowl fasteners?

Andrew,
I have found that the beauty of the Boeing fasteners is that the whole cowl has a lot of room to work around under the vibrations of operation. The cowl sort of floats within the spring loaded fasteners and there is no hard points or tendency for cracking. Perhaps if there were more anchor points, it might have too much restriction.

Here are some photos of our plane... I doubt those access doors are original, but they sure are handy for accessing the gascolator and for checking the oil.