Thorp Air Command - T18.net

Supporting Owners, Builders and Pilots of the Thorp T-18 and its variants.
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 10:09 am

All times are UTC - 6 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 26 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2
Author Message
Jeff J
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 1:20 pm 
Sr. Member
Sr. Member

Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2016 8:18 am
Posts: 583
Images: 0
Location: eastern OK
Thanks. I was thinking “removable” for cheek cowl. I didn’t look close enough at the one I linked. Mine is 4 pieces but it can be removed as 2. There is a top, bottom and nose bowl. The nose bowl is split. Servicing oil is a bit of a pain on mine.

_________________
Thorp T18
O-320-B3B (160 HP)
68x74 Sterba Propeller

"The joke in aviation is, 'If you want to make a million, you'd better start with £10m.' " -Bruce Dickinson


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
bfinney
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 1:44 pm 
Sr. Member
Sr. Member
User avatar

Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 2:24 pm
Posts: 501
Images: 6
Location: Yelm, WA USA
Here's an example of a "cheeked" cowl, you'll note the cheek is removable on both sides.


Attachments:
IMG_1383.JPG
IMG_1383.JPG [ 1.36 MiB | Viewed 6937 times ]

_________________
Bruce Finney
N18JF T-18C #262
Yelm, WA USA
Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
Jeff J
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 3:47 pm 
Sr. Member
Sr. Member

Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2016 8:18 am
Posts: 583
Images: 0
Location: eastern OK
That last one resembles what Cubes sells. Mine is apparently a Ratray or a variant thereof. Anyone have a picture of the original cowl that John mentioned or is it like the one Cubes sells?

_________________
Thorp T18
O-320-B3B (160 HP)
68x74 Sterba Propeller

"The joke in aviation is, 'If you want to make a million, you'd better start with £10m.' " -Bruce Dickinson


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
leewwalton
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 4:01 pm 
Administrator
Administrator
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 4:09 pm
Posts: 1705
Images: 107
Location: Houston, TX
There are basically 3 cowls out there ...

1.) The 'Thorp Cowl' which is the one most of us use, designed by John Thorp. You're referring to it as the Cheeked cowl.
2.) The 'Rattray Cowl' who's 'tell' is the boot cowl and forward skins have fiber glass fairings at the cooling air exists (and usually quite a bit of bondo)
3.) The 'Twin Comanche Cowl', looks a lot like and was modeled off the the PA-30. Nose bowl, alum, top, sides, and a fiberglass lower cowl (this sounds like what you have).

There are of course other variants but they've largely gone extinct. The 'Original' Thorp had one of the dirtiest nose bowls out there until it was replaced with a 'Thorp Cowl'

_________________
Lee Walton
Houston, TX
N51863,N118LW
KEFD


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
Jeff J
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 8:50 pm 
Sr. Member
Sr. Member

Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2016 8:18 am
Posts: 583
Images: 0
Location: eastern OK
Thanks Lee. That cleared some things up for me. I noticed the extra fairings on the one I linked but didn’t think the cowl looked that different from mine. But I didn’t study it very much either. It was hot and I was mowing when I took that picture.

Here is the only picture I have of mine that shows any useful detail. I think you are correct about what it is.

Attachment:
473F369E-89D1-4D18-85AD-87DC4E4579E1.jpeg
473F369E-89D1-4D18-85AD-87DC4E4579E1.jpeg [ 93.72 KiB | Viewed 6920 times ]

_________________
Thorp T18
O-320-B3B (160 HP)
68x74 Sterba Propeller

"The joke in aviation is, 'If you want to make a million, you'd better start with £10m.' " -Bruce Dickinson


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
fytrplt
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:00 pm 
Hero Member
Hero Member
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 8:07 pm
Posts: 1140
Images: 2
Location: Lakeland, Florida, USA
Just to confuse the issue more, looks like you have the Hamlin cowl.

_________________
Bob Highley
N711SH
SN 835
KLAL


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
leewwalton
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 10:02 pm 
Administrator
Administrator
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 4:09 pm
Posts: 1705
Images: 107
Location: Houston, TX
Bob I think what I’m referring to as the Twin Comanche cowl is one and the same as the Hamilton (sp? meant to say Hamlyn) cowl ...

On that note ...

https://www.yoursun.com/venice-municipa ... 99874.html

_________________
Lee Walton
Houston, TX
N51863,N118LW
KEFD


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
Jeff J
PostPosted: Wed Sep 02, 2020 7:31 am 
Sr. Member
Sr. Member

Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2016 8:18 am
Posts: 583
Images: 0
Location: eastern OK
Ouch! A hand propping accident.

https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/regi ... l-confirms

_________________
Thorp T18
O-320-B3B (160 HP)
68x74 Sterba Propeller

"The joke in aviation is, 'If you want to make a million, you'd better start with £10m.' " -Bruce Dickinson


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
pacer18a
PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2020 9:21 am 
Newbie
Newbie

Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2009 6:44 pm
Posts: 43
Location: USA
Interesting info on cowl types and names, I am sure the one on 444DD is of the Hamlin/Hamilton variety. Just curious how did it get to be known as the Hamlin/Hamilton cowl?

Dave


Top
 Profile  
 
leewwalton
PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2020 10:41 am 
Administrator
Administrator
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 4:09 pm
Posts: 1705
Images: 107
Location: Houston, TX
Bob can chime in but Lee Hamlyn was an early Thorp guy (early early) who adapted a Twin Comanche a nose bowl to fit the T-18, created the molds and produced the style of cowl you have. I should have given him proper credit .. much like when I asked my dad why my Polariod Camera specified it was for "Land"

_________________
Lee Walton
Houston, TX
N51863,N118LW
KEFD


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
pacer18a
PostPosted: Fri Sep 04, 2020 9:11 am 
Newbie
Newbie

Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2009 6:44 pm
Posts: 43
Location: USA
Thanks for the additional info Lee.

Dave


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 26 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2

All times are UTC - 6 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  

[ Time : 0.175s | 14 Queries | GZIP : On ]