Hi Carl, Consider getting some 3/4" or 1" styrofoam and cutting plugs to fit the front cowling holes. Get some 1" or so fender washers and you could mount drawer/cabinet pulls and bright cloth streamers on them. An old cooler would also provide suitable material.
At the rear of the cowl the fit should pretty tight around the top a bit beyond midway down. If not, have it adjusted... Aircraft Spruce offers some material appropriate to cowling "support" in this area. It may be that the birds are not entering from the bottom of the cowl, in which case this would solve your problem. If they are coming in that way, consider having two small holes drilled in the cowl in which to hook a bungee cord. Tie-wrap face towels around the bungee to a thickness sufficient to block the opening between the fuselage and the bottom cowl. You could hook this in on one side by stooping slightly and let it drop. Then go to the other side and (if necessary) use a hook or a cane to snag the hanging end and pull it up to hook it in the other side. Again, put bright streamers on each hook so you can easily tell if it's in place or has been removed for flight. Hope this helps, WRB -- On Apr 21, 2009, at 11:09, carl_lavon wrote: > Friends, > > As you know, I love my Ercoupe. She's an impressive old bird > with lots of personality and I have enjoyed every minute of owning her > so far. Now to the "but..." part: I have to keep her in a T-hangar > and our airport is rampant with wrens and swallows who are very good > at finding whatever hole on the airplane to build nests. I've torn at > least four out of the top of my engine so far. One was rebuilt within > a day. I had to remove the cowling to get to it and I am not a > mechanic in any sense of the word. Further, I am physically disabled > and my fine motor skills are beginning to be eroded because of the > disease I suffer with. I finally went and bought two of those blue > tarps along with several bungee cords to secure them on the front of > the aircraft--top and bottom/front and back of the cowling. This > seems to have worked but it has its drawbacks. I cannot attach the > two tarps alone since I cannot kneel down and I do not have a > significant other, a friend who flys with me, etc. The line guys have > been great about pulling the plane out for me and tieing it down when > I'm fininshed flying, but the tarp thing is outside of their duties > and I hate to ask them to do it for me. > > Since I'm on a fixed income, I cannot afford to put the old girl > into a closed hangar nor can I afford $65 an hour to have one of the > mechanics remove the cowling and extract nests built there, thus the > T-hangar is the extent of my recreation money for any given month. > This plane was a gift to me and I own it outright. From the first day > I flew it I knew I was hooked. I was afraid I'd never be able to fly > again, but the Ercoupe provided me with that option and I have been > really happy with it. I cannot, however, have a plane just sitting at > the airport unused. It makes no sense to me economically. I don't > want to sell it as it is one of the last things I have that makes me > feel somewhat "normal." > > What I'm asking for is suggestions on how to properly secure it > from birds that may be easier than the tarps and something I can > handle on my own. Or, perhaps, I'm just not willing to face reality > and surrender ownership of N415CB. Don't know. I'm 56, and only > about five IQ points off being Forrest Gump ;^), but I know what I > like, and I like my Ercoupe. So, ideas or suggestions or reality > checks are all welcome. Thanks for taking the time to read this. > > Respectfully, > > Carl LaVon > N415CB '46 ERCO 415C > KJVY > > > > ------------------------------------ > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > >
