Cotton Waiex 191 - N191YX

[peter anson]

Hi Bryan, if you're not careful you'll have to fly the thing one day.

Regarding Bryan's bane, the oil cooler ducting - it actually looks pretty good and will probably work fine, so no problem, but just in case here is another way of doing it. Years ago I had Skyfox (a factory built Kitfox) which was fitted with a VW based engine. It was over 10 years old when I bought it so I don't know how nobody else had the same problem, but the oil temperature was way too high on hot days. It would get so hot that the oil thinned out and the pressure dropped significantly making for a couple of very tense flights. It was fitted with same sort of top-mounted "dog house" cooler that you are using. There was no ducting on the cooler and obviously no good reason for air to go through it. My solution was to make a thicker mounting block to raise the cooler so it was closer to the cowling and cut a NACA inlet in the top of the cowl, just in front to push more air through the cooler. It worked almost too well. I had to blank off part of the inlet in cooler weather.

Peter

[Bryan Cotton]

Peter, that is an interesting idea. Maybe if someone made a 3D printed NACA duct I could just buy one and install it. Did you need to increase your exit area?

[peter anson]

I don't think a 3D print would survive too well with high cowl temperatures. I just cut the outline with a fine saw, bent the tab down and riveted in some aluminum side walls. The cowl already had a pretty enormous outlet so I didn't make any change to that. The aircraft had an upper and lower cowl so I wasn't troubled with a center joiner, but the aircraft was very slow, about 65 knots cruise speed, so needed a relatively large inlet.

Peter

[Bryan Cotton]

Here is a test of my light harnessing.

[Bryan Cotton]

I aimed my lights last night. Time to install the lenses.

[Bryan Cotton]

Here is another light video from last night.


Question on prop bolts - I assume undrilled and use a metal self locking nut, is this correct? I haven't found it on the plans yet but hope to place an order tonight.

My wingtips are riveted on.

[Sonex1517]

>> Question on prop bolts - I assume undrilled and use a metal self locking nut, is this correct? I haven't found it on the plans yet but hope to place an order tonight.<<

Yes. I’ve had both Sensenich and Prince P Tip props and both used undrilled bolts.

[Bryan Cotton]

Thanks Robbie!

I had overtrimmed my cowl where the landing gear exits. Time to fix that.

I made a little tool to show me where to trim. I had it clecoed in place when the cowl was on.

[Bryan Cotton]

They are both trimmed.

[Bryan Cotton]

I may be on the path to vanquish Bryan's Bane.

I still have to turn those last 4 clecoes to nutplates and screws.