I'm continuting my complete buildup of the restored parts of my '46. I have a new fuselage and new boot cowl. The boot cowl window retaining strips need to be mounted, the side bolts for the cowl located and drilled, the panel mounted to the cowl, etc.
A. I've mounted the instruments back in the panel, and have it sitting, unbolted but on the fuselage.
Question: is there any dimension on the panel, such as from the bottom lip of the panel to the bottom of the cross tube that the lower panel rests against---that will help me correctly vertically locate the panel. That would "set" the boot cowl curve where it meets the panel. Right now, of course, my boot cowl is just a floppy thing that could take any shape. I can see that there will be some clearance issues at the back of some of the instruments, and with the primer and cabin heat if I don't get the panel located right. There may be clearance issues even with the panel located right.
B. The window retention on the old boot cowl had only one strip mounted to the cowl. It would appear from what Univair supplied, and what the parts manual shows is that there is a long strip that goes in front of the windshield, and a shorter strip that goes behind the bottom edge of the windshield. How the heck do I mount those strips so they help to set the correct curve to the top of the new boot cowl. I can use the old cowl to establish a distance from the forward edge of the boot cowl, to the front edge of the "outside the windshield" retention strip. But, I think by the time I've installed both forward and rear windshiel retention strips, the boot cowl top curve will be pretty well locked in.
Question: Any guidance on properly installing those strips--including the best fastener technique. (The old cowl strips are held by phillips screws and locknuts.) My thought is that with the boot installed tight to the firewall, and based upon the proper locating of the panel in my first question, that I'd flatten the sides of the boot cowl, pushing from the bottom up and screwing the sides to the side member of the fuselage. That would create a curve for the part of the cowl not "formed" by the top edge of the panel.
So, without further guidance, and based upon someone giving me the right info on the proper panel location vertically, I would, bolt the cowl to the front of the fuselage, tie the rear edge of the cowl to the properly mounted panel, then push the sides of the cowl in and squeeze the sides up, before establishing the mounting screws for the side of the cowl. That then fixes the top curve of the whole cowl. Hopefull, then, the bottom of the windshield will happily fit that curve, and I could mark and install both of the windshield capture strips. Then when I take the whole works off for interior and exterior cover, the top shape of the cowl is basically held by the two windshield capture strips.
Sorry for the lengthy post, but this is a very tricky task, and any and all input would be welcome.
A. I've mounted the instruments back in the panel, and have it sitting, unbolted but on the fuselage.
Question: is there any dimension on the panel, such as from the bottom lip of the panel to the bottom of the cross tube that the lower panel rests against---that will help me correctly vertically locate the panel. That would "set" the boot cowl curve where it meets the panel. Right now, of course, my boot cowl is just a floppy thing that could take any shape. I can see that there will be some clearance issues at the back of some of the instruments, and with the primer and cabin heat if I don't get the panel located right. There may be clearance issues even with the panel located right.
B. The window retention on the old boot cowl had only one strip mounted to the cowl. It would appear from what Univair supplied, and what the parts manual shows is that there is a long strip that goes in front of the windshield, and a shorter strip that goes behind the bottom edge of the windshield. How the heck do I mount those strips so they help to set the correct curve to the top of the new boot cowl. I can use the old cowl to establish a distance from the forward edge of the boot cowl, to the front edge of the "outside the windshield" retention strip. But, I think by the time I've installed both forward and rear windshiel retention strips, the boot cowl top curve will be pretty well locked in.
Question: Any guidance on properly installing those strips--including the best fastener technique. (The old cowl strips are held by phillips screws and locknuts.) My thought is that with the boot installed tight to the firewall, and based upon the proper locating of the panel in my first question, that I'd flatten the sides of the boot cowl, pushing from the bottom up and screwing the sides to the side member of the fuselage. That would create a curve for the part of the cowl not "formed" by the top edge of the panel.
So, without further guidance, and based upon someone giving me the right info on the proper panel location vertically, I would, bolt the cowl to the front of the fuselage, tie the rear edge of the cowl to the properly mounted panel, then push the sides of the cowl in and squeeze the sides up, before establishing the mounting screws for the side of the cowl. That then fixes the top curve of the whole cowl. Hopefull, then, the bottom of the windshield will happily fit that curve, and I could mark and install both of the windshield capture strips. Then when I take the whole works off for interior and exterior cover, the top shape of the cowl is basically held by the two windshield capture strips.
Sorry for the lengthy post, but this is a very tricky task, and any and all input would be welcome.
