http://www.europaowners.org/gallery2/v/Glazener/Engine/ en-us Gallery 2 RSS Module, version 1.1.8 Sun, 03 May 2026 22:23:10 +0000 120 http://www.europaowners.org/gallery2/d/759939-4/Engine.jpg http://www.europaowners.org/gallery2/v/Glazener/Engine/ http://www.europaowners.org/gallery2/v/Glazener/Engine/IMG_6784.JPG.html http://www.europaowners.org/gallery2/v/Glazener/Engine/IMG_6784.JPG.html
It is clear to me that the Europa method of fixing the cowlings with anchor nuts and screws is a non-starter. Some kind of quick release is an absolute must. Looking at sites like Aircraft Spruce shows you can get receptacles, grommets, retainers etc in all sorts of shapes and sizes. The possible combinations are astronomical and and how do I know any of them are suitable for the Europa?
Raimo Toivio advises Milspec fasteners. Turns out they have a one-size-fits-all adjustable solution.Two in fact. At their recommendation I opt for the larger 4000 series, though seeing how solid they are (these can hold an Apache together!), the 2000 series would probably have done fine. They're also slightly cheaper. The photo shows the parts and tools you get from Milspec.]]> Jeroen Glazener photo Wed, 18 Oct 2017 09:49:43 +0000 http://www.europaowners.org/gallery2/v/Glazener/Engine/IMG_6783.JPG.html http://www.europaowners.org/gallery2/v/Glazener/Engine/IMG_6783.JPG.html
Because the cowling can now come off and on in seconds, at the recommendation of Raimo I dispense with the the access panels for oil and water. Less work, less weight and less drag]]> Jeroen Glazener photo Thu, 06 Jul 2017 13:49:32 +0000 http://www.europaowners.org/gallery2/v/Glazener/Engine/IMG_6782.JPG.html http://www.europaowners.org/gallery2/v/Glazener/Engine/IMG_6782.JPG.html
The 4000 series may be adjustable, that does not apply to the rivets. Those supplied are fine for most of the positions, but where there is a large buildup of glass and Araldite such as at the bottom of the footwell and fuselage joins, they are definitely too short. Grinding down the area helps in some cases, but you can't do that too far, so for the difficult ones I resort to the Europe supplied rivets. If you are considering this solution, it may be worth getting Milspec to send you 10 or so longer Cherries.
Tip: If you mispull the Cherry rivets they are impossible to drill out. The only way is to use a powerfile to sand off the other side, then use a punch to knock it out.]]> Jeroen Glazener photo Thu, 06 Jul 2017 13:48:23 +0000 http://www.europaowners.org/gallery2/v/Glazener/Engine/IMG_6674.JPG.html http://www.europaowners.org/gallery2/v/Glazener/Engine/IMG_6674.JPG.html
Marking out the area around the flange that needs to be removed]]> Jeroen Glazener photo Thu, 06 Jul 2017 13:51:33 +0000 http://www.europaowners.org/gallery2/v/Glazener/Engine/IMG_6670.JPG.html http://www.europaowners.org/gallery2/v/Glazener/Engine/IMG_6670.JPG.html
Adjusting the depth. The receptacles are initially free to turn in their housing (Tip: use a screwdriver to turn them as far out as possible before fitting). Once the retainer is in you keep turning it clockwise, the receptacle will pull it in and you stop when the retainer is flush with the grommet. Pull a small pin out of the receptacle, it locks and that's it! Perfect fit every time.]]> Jeroen Glazener photo Thu, 06 Jul 2017 13:39:17 +0000 http://www.europaowners.org/gallery2/v/Glazener/Engine/IMG_6665.JPG.html http://www.europaowners.org/gallery2/v/Glazener/Engine/IMG_6665.JPG.html
Riveting in a receptacle. The rivet holes need to to countersunk. The Cherry rivets supplied have a sort of washer on top which comes off as the rivet is pulled. I initially countersunk too deep before I realised this.]]> Jeroen Glazener photo Thu, 06 Jul 2017 13:40:34 +0000 http://www.europaowners.org/gallery2/v/Glazener/Engine/IMG_6664.JPG.html http://www.europaowners.org/gallery2/v/Glazener/Engine/IMG_6664.JPG.html
Milspec have a special template for drilling the receptacle rivet holes, a fact I somehow missed in ordering. Make one myself. What better material to use for a template than.. a template]]> Jeroen Glazener photo Wed, 05 Jul 2017 15:05:32 +0000 http://www.europaowners.org/gallery2/v/Glazener/Engine/IMG_6663.JPG.html http://www.europaowners.org/gallery2/v/Glazener/Engine/IMG_6663.JPG.html
The retainer is popped in with a special pair of pliers]]> Jeroen Glazener photo Wed, 05 Jul 2017 15:03:06 +0000 http://www.europaowners.org/gallery2/v/Glazener/Engine/IMG_6384.JPG.html http://www.europaowners.org/gallery2/v/Glazener/Engine/IMG_6384.JPG.html
The two cowling halves need to be trimmed to fit each other and the plane. The manual suggests clecoing them together and adjusting to the firewall. Sounds reasonable enoough, but you dont know how to put them together UNTIL you know how they fit around the firewall, and you can't find that out because the propeller hole won't fit around the flange at this stage. Fitting the top first and then the bottom is also not an option because the flanges are the wrong way round to do that.
The only option is to do it in exactly the "wrong" order and start with the bottom cowling, despite having to work against gravity.]]> Jeroen Glazener photo Wed, 18 Oct 2017 09:47:28 +0000 http://www.europaowners.org/gallery2/v/Glazener/Engine/IMG_6383.JPG.html http://www.europaowners.org/gallery2/v/Glazener/Engine/IMG_6383.JPG.html
Luckily there is one thing you can do without problems and that is trim the back edge of the upper cowling.]]> Jeroen Glazener photo Wed, 05 Jul 2017 08:58:05 +0000