My Savannah S model rebuild Blog

[Kyle Communications]

Havent had a lot of time lately to work on the lower cowling for Mabel due to some family stuff

 

I have changed my mind about 10 times when trying to come up with something for the cowl to be functional but sort of reasonable looking.

Because I have the big bore fitted I need to make sure I have enough water cooling so I have changed the angle of the radiator to expose it a bit more and also widened the intake area to it. The oil cooler has always been fine as most know even in winter you need to block off about half the oil radiator to keep the engine oil temp to about 90deg C

 

I have started shaping the cowl a bit now but no pics as of yet. I hope to get this shaped then make a mould that I can just pull a shell out of then with a std lower cowl you just graft this onto your bottom cowl then cut out the inside so it should allow you a bigger muffler and better cooling.

 

Hopefully you will pick the different versions I have gone through. There are 2 pics where you will see a lot of resin and micro (bog) over both sides and a bit on the front..this will be the basis for the new lower cowl...I am working on getting the side shape a bit better

 

 

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Havent been able to work on Mabel since the last post. Just too much going on with my family at the moment. Managed to get a break up at the farm though thank god..helped to keep me sane for a while.

Last night I managed to sand a lot of the big lumps and bumps off the resin and microballoons I used first to strengthen everything up and hold the rough shape. Got some special car body filler thats supposed to be easier to sand and I must say its the best filler I have used. The show car guys use it. My boss put me onto it..not cheap but great to work with. So started sanding it today to get it to pretty much the shape now I have to go over and fill a few small hollows and other bits. I have to get the rear edges sorted and the hole for the exhaust pipe from the muffler to come out the side. Pretty happy so far with it. Its not particularly pretty but its functional and thats the intention. it might look a bit better soon hopefully. But a few hours now into this cowl. This is really the last part I need to get done and I can finish off the engine stuff then a few more jobs to do and paint the cowl and Mabel can go to the hangar. 

 

This is only the shape I will have to finish it off super smooth then make a mold of it which will go to where the grey tape is and then that mold will make the lower cowl part which gets grafted onto the existing lower cowl

 

[planedriver]

Progress, Progress, Progress! Mate you are getting there. Well done!

[Kyle Communications]

Finally had a little bit of time to work on Mabel's lower cowl mold. Filled and sanded many times and a couple of coats of spraybog then sand and fill what I could see that needed it then more sanding and a little more shaping. Almost ready for another coat of spray bog and that should be it so I can start to make the mold and get it done. This has been a bigger part of the project than I thought it would be.

 

Once thats done and it is grafted onto the remainder of the lower cowl then I have to so some small  cutting and welding mods to the exhaust system to fi better that it is now. Then I am finishing off the avionics wiring then setup my dual controls and I can think about moving her to the hangar.

 

[planedriver]

Progress is looking good mate.

Remember "Gone with the wind" also took a long time to make, but was very successful in the end.

Keep at it young fella!

Mabel should love ya

[Kyle Communications]

Danny Leach came over this morning to give me a hand to make the mold for the lower cowl piece. I have coated the section in wax and sprayed a coat of release agent over the section then a thick coat of brushed white gelcoat. Today there are 3 layers of chopmat over the gelcoat then sections of coremat and another layer of glass over the top. The coremat gives the mold some strength but still allows some flex if you need it. I will leave this now for 3 or 4 days then try to separate it from the cowl. That will be the interesting bit.

 

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Pulled the mold off this afternoon. It took a few hours but eventually I got it free after destrying the frame it was built on. Seems reasonable so need to clean up the main part of the lower cowl then look at where the graft will sit and make the new cod piece

[planedriver]

Remember, success if often achieved by those who have suffered some sort of failure, but continue to strive to achieve their goals, You'd be no different, and we're all confident you'll continue till you achieve something both you and others will admire with envy. It's all a learning experience from any mistakes and any tempory set backs.

Love your work so far.

Edited March 27, 2022 by planedriver

[Kyle Communications]

So many things going on around here its difficult to get back onto projects. Danny came over tonight to help me to get the new bottom section of the cowl for Mabel done. I waxed it and did the release agent this week. So if its sunny it will be out in the sun tomorrow and the peel ply will come off Sunday and hopefully I can get it out of the mold. Maybe next week I can have it grafted onto the lower cowl. Then its cut and reweld 2 of the engine pipes and I can then get the engine started and the rest done so Mabel can go to the hangar finally.

 

Got a chance today to work on the CNC to get the press tool made for the throttle rod bar. Tried it in the press tonight and 5 ton seems to be the right pressure to press the stainless tube perfectly round at the right size

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Managed to get the new cowl cod piece out of the mold this morning. Fitted the lower cowl and sorted my exhaust outlet at the side then taped it in the correct spot lining it up how I set it. Marked and cut the join overlap of about 20mm and preped the lower cowl and cod piece. Screwed it all together to make sure its all aligned properly. Glued both parts together with carbatec and resin and fitted all the screws. Now just have to wait and I will remove all the screws and fill the holes glass the inside joins and the outside then fill around the joins and start sanding again. Finally have some progress again

 

 

 

[Marty_d]

Bloody hell you work fast Mark.  Slow down - you're making the rest of us look bad!

[Kyle Communications]

hahah Marty surely you jest...Mabel was supposed to be a 12 month project..its now 5 years !!!!!!!!!!! and still not finished 😞

 

[Kyle Communications]

Filling done...now lots of sanding and then glass over the outside joins and inside joins then fine filler...Cant wait until I finish this part of the build

 

[Paul davenport]

I admire your tenacity and your ability to do the work . I bet the cowl will look fantastic. Keep at it we will just have to Waite to see the fruits of your labour

[Marty_d]

Yeah fibreglassing is fill, sand, repeat.  Looking good Mark.  

[Blueadventures]

11 minutes ago, Marty_d said:

Yeah fibreglassing is fill, sand, repeat.  Looking good Mark.  

Add the words ichy and torcher:) at times

[Kyle Communications]

With any luck this maybe finished by the end of the weekend.

Sanded the filler to shape over the joins and now layed some nice twill weave glass over the outside joins all the way. peel ply on so will see what its like tomorrow morning..might need to get the heat lamps on it as I want to get that peelply off later in the day. The inside join areas have been filled and I still have to glass that but can do that first up in the morning and the heat lamps will help that as well so all should be fine. 

Will need to put some coremat on the inside bottom as its a bit flexible also maybe on the sides...I will decide after all the joins are done

 

 

 

[Blueadventures]

Your getting a bit slack I reckon; expected to be finish sanded, primed, painted and fitted by 5pm Sunday.  All joke aside looking superb.  Cheers.

[Kyle Communications]

Mike I am working as fast as the resin will allow me 🙂

 

Glassed the joins on the outside and inside for the strength and also put some core mat into the flat bottom to strengthen it up.

pretty happy with the finish by using peel ply (nylon) the purple stuff in the above pics , over the areas and squeegying it..when you pull off the peel ply when the resin has set properly and it leaves a great surface and of course gets off excess resin. Need to trim it all up now as well.

 

Will let it go off more and do some initial sanding tonight hopefully then hit it with the fine filler tomorrow morning. Let it dry as I am going over to Dannys place in the morning to get some of the new throttle system kits tig welded so I can get them away. Got people chasing me like crazy for them. Just havent had enough time to spread across so many projects 😞

 

[Kyle Communications]

Mothers Day

 

Busy day 🙂

 

Cooked the boss and her mothers breakfast this morning...sanded the lower cowl ready for some fine filler...that being all done preped the bits for the throttle kits so I can get some done. Went over to Danny's place and turned the tubes to size...used a different tool tip..circular ones. Works better on the stainless and doesnt distort the tube so I have ordered a few of these tips so I can do the rest of the tubes. Got 5 units tig'd up just have to pickle them and will set them up to make sure all is correct and I think I will be ready for production.  I need to be retired...its been a big few days 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Finally at the pointy end with this bloody lower cowl. I am so over it.

Filled and sanded a few times now to get the shape and lumps and bumps out. The grey is spraybog and I will need to do just a few little wipes with filler and then I can refit the cowl properly. I have to put about 15mm onto the back edge of the top cowl to make it fit nice in fromnt of the screen yet but thats easy and wont take long.

I really have to get my finger out and get Mabel finished to the point of getting her to the hangar for assembly. The mrs is up me because she wants to go flying. Got a notification on bookface on the weekend....the Girlfriend went to her new owner 2 years ago !!!!!!!  it does not seem like that long

 

 

[Blueadventures]

Nice Mark, you will enjoy the first fly in her.  Cheers.

[RFguy]

nice work, Mark. well there will be plenty of radiator airflow with that barn door opening.  probably entirely sufficient even at 35 kts 100% full smoke (with the big bore).

[eightyknots]

On 27/06/2022 at 1:46 PM, Kyle Communications said:

Finally at the pointy end with this bloody lower cowl. I am so over it.

Filled and sanded a few times now to get the shape and lumps and bumps out. The grey is spraybog and I will need to do just a few little wipes with filler and then I can refit the cowl properly. I have to put about 15mm onto the back edge of the top cowl to make it fit nice in fromnt of the screen yet but thats easy and wont take long.

I really have to get my finger out and get Mabel finished to the point of getting her to the hangar for assembly. The mrs is up me because she wants to go flying. Got a notification on bookface on the weekend....the Girlfriend went to her new owner 2 years ago !!!!!!!  it does not seem like that long

 

 

Two years! Time goes quickly, that's for sure.

 

I hope you'll be airborne by Spring.

[Kyle Communications]

Getting the final bits done to the cowls. Had to add about 25mm to the rear of the top cowl so it fits nicely over the top deck and make it easy to achor the back edge. Danny made me up some flat fibreglass over a plate of glass to use as a laminate sheet so I could make a nice entry of the airscoop into the radiator. So that was cut and glassed in just need to trim the top cowl past the masking tape and the inside of the airscoop. A small amount of fill required in the airscoop corners then its ready for undercoat...finally. The lower cowl has been fitted and trimmed sothen I can get onto the slight mods required for the exhaust and I can finish the radiator plumbing.