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Builder's notes:

• At the time, Fisher Aero Corporation offered three cowling options. Standard was a pressure cowling like that on an Aeronca Champ or Taylorcraft. Neater, since it exposes the cylinder heads, is a J3 Cub-style, and an almost-round pressure cowling (to give the idea of a radial engine, I guess). The round cowling in particular is quite ugly. I also found the kit-supplied J3 fiberglass pieces to be unacceptable. What we finally settled on were commercially-produced (probably from Wag-Aero) J3 cowling replacement pieces, and built back from there.

• Constructing the top and bottom halves to attach to the two-part J3 nose piece was very much a cut-and-fit operation. We started with sheets of poster board (thin cardboard with little grain so that it bends smoothly in every direction) taped together, then attached these to the rear flanges of the nose pieces. With the poster board draped over the engine, holes were outlined for the cylinders and cut out. Same for the bottom half, and the halves were joined to complete the cowling mockup. At this point the cowling-to-be was rigid enough to hold its shape, and we proceeded to adjust it, add back some cardboard to the holes, trim some here and there until we were satisfied with the overall dimensions and shape. We then took each poster board half and used it for a template to transfer the outline to soft sheet metal. This went back on the engine, connecting to the flanges of the J3 nose pieces with Cleco fasteners. More eyeballing, shifting, and fitting followed. When we were satisfied with the metal mockup, it became the pattern for the final cowling made of stiffer, aircraft-grade sheet aluminum. No complex tooling was needed to shape the cowling (though initially it was like trying to sculpt soft butter) and no complex molds had to be formed for laying up fiberglass. As cowling goes, I don't think it could have been done any simpler (the sheet aluminum isn't cheap, though).

• Is that not a gorgeous propeller? We have had several made by

  Culver Props, Inc.
  24 US Route 6
  West Galeton, PA 16922
  814.435.1077
  814.435.6523 (fax)
  

  and they've all been great (we tried several variations of pitch and length for performance). They were also very good about working with us to modify props.