Original style round inspection hole covers

[Joel Severinghaus]

OK, one more restoration detail to obsess about for Oshkosh judging next summer. Last year, one of the Vintage judges asked me what was the original style of the round inspection hole covers: two rivets/one strap, or four rivets/two straps with the vents?

All of mine, some of which may be original, have two rivets, but they don't all match -- some have two rivets in the center, but some have two widely-spaced rivets. And yes, I'm obsessive enough about the airplane that this inconsistency really bugs me. It's a sickness. Thank you all for your enabling and indulgence.

So does anyone still have their ship's original 1946 inspection hole covers? Which of the three photos below show that style?

[Carrieve]

Re: Original style round inspection hole covers

Wow, now I don't feel alone. I have both, the one on the right and the one in the center picture on mine. Most of them are the two strap four rivet type. When I rebuilt mine those seem to have the most layers of primer, paint, etc on them. They also seem to be the heavier of the ones on mine. It will be nice to know. I was able, realizing I would never have mine judged and having some counseling with my Tcraft got past the fact that they did not all match.

[lfries]

Re: Original style round inspection hole covers

I have all 3. I use the vented ones under the wing tanks.

[Robert Lees]

Re: Original style round inspection hole covers

I have all 3. I use the vented ones under the wing tanks.

Lloyd, do you know why they are under the tank? I can't think of a reason (insp covers seem to me to enable access to the drag/antidrag wire attach points).

[Robert Lees]

Re: Original style round inspection hole covers

inspection hole covers

Joel, does the Rodman on-line library have any photos that might show? If so, then at least you would have supporting evidence with which to impress the judges.

[3Dreaming]

Re: Original style round inspection hole covers

Joel, my 41 had vented covers, but they were a little different than the ones you have pictured. Good luck with finding a good set that are all the same to put on it. I had trouble finding a set 13 years ago for mine. There was a company that had the die to make them from the Chicago area, but they never made any that I know of. I'm not even sure if the company is around any more. If you have access to a machine shop you could make the dies and do them by hand. Have the circles punched from an outside source and ready for the die. Tom

[Ragwing nut]

Re: Original style round inspection hole covers

The middle pic are the later style currently being made. I have hundreds of old inspection covers, never thought they were worth much. Maybe I need to sort them up and sell them.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Original style round inspection hole covers

I would like to "show" my plane someday too (if I ever get it flying again) with a full set of the correct covers. If we figure out what the original covers on a 41 are, I want to be in line early. I also have a mix of mismatched covers and would gladly trade for the ones I need so someone else could have a full set of the right ones too. I HAVE seen another type of vented covers and will try and dig a few out for pictures. There were no vented ones on my 45 and only a few on the 41.
Hank

[lfries]

Re: Original style round inspection hole covers

Rob. They were under the wing tanks when I purchased the plane. I always
assumed it might be a way out for leaking fuel if the tanks leaked.

[Dan Michaels]

Re: Original style round inspection hole covers

My 46 has the third style or close to it. They are at the airport now but I will take a pic tomorrow. They are definitely not the first two style.

Dan

[Joel Severinghaus]

Re: Original style round inspection hole covers

Carrieve, I'm equally relieved to read that I'm not the only one. It helps that I'm married to a psychologist, although she's mostly given up on my airplane issues. She did recently make me open a separate checking account for airplane expenses, however.

Rob, excellent suggestion to look at the Alliance library's photo archives. Lots of great old pictures of entire airplanes, but alas, no closeups that show any inspection hole covers.

3Dreaming and Dan Michaels, do your four rivet/four vent covers by any chance look like the photo below from the factory website? (Part no. B-9095-4 "cover assembly".) Unlike the righthand photo above, this red one looks domed, without a raised lip. When I asked Antonio at the factory about these a few months ago, he said the covers in inventory were stamped in 2007, not old stock. They have four holes to rivet two straps, but the factory has them only without the straps riveted on. If this matches the 1946 originals on your ships, I might just phone Antonio on Monday...

[NC36061]

Re: Original style round inspection hole covers

There may not have been "factory" inspection covers. I suspect that airplanes left the factory with the inspection hole reinforcing rings, but probably not cut out with hole covers installed. The cut out and installation of the covers then happened later with any period piece available to an individual inspector?? Just my guess, Forrest would maybe know for sure.

[Robert Lees]

Re: Original style round inspection hole covers

That's a good point. My wing inspection holes are still fabricked over, but coming up to 3 years after covering, I might open one or two up for a peek.

Were the original aft fuselage lower covers rectangular plates?

Or round covers like this:

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Original style round inspection hole covers

Mine are all round, and too danged small for my "ham hock hands" to get in to reach the front tail spring bolt.
Hank

[Forrest Barber]

Re: Original style round inspection hole covers

I still have brand new ones of the ones on the right. Call them "vented" but that was to keep them centered. There are two types of them , parallel clips and clips in an X . Drawings here could show the change over. IF an owner wanted a set painted for furthur when he bought a new ship, he would get them then . All dealers had them, mine are NOS primed and used for special rebuilds . We are doing three in the area now. the "pop" plates were invented in the Experimential section of Taylorcraft by my Dad , Chuck Hodgekins and couple of other guys sitting there in the rain. They were used in 46 and beyond.