Compatibility

Which parts should I delete from my Van’s order if I order your kit?

You may delete all items related to the cowl, plenum/baffles. Useful items in common will be the rivets or fasteners used to join the hinges to the cowl, and the hinges or fasteners used to join the cowl to the firewall.

Some builders prefer to order the Vans baffle kits and retrofit them to our plenums.  Not all parts in the kit will be used and some will require modification plus additional fabrication to fit the plenum.

When ordering the extended cowls, you may also delete the filter air box if planning to use our ram air filtration system.

All "standard length" cowls (RV-4 and short version 6,7,9) use Van's FAB filter system.

Optional:
We recommend a different mil-spec hinge along the cowl sides: 1-1/4” hinge (MS20257P5-3) on the bottom and 3/4” hinge (MS20257P4-3) on the top half of cowl. Hinge required is one three foot section of each type. The lower hinge is riveted to the cowl with the flat section exposed above the fiberglass side edge. This allows the top cowl half to overlap the bottom hinge, thereby eliminating the "sawtooth" gap.

How much work is it to install your cowling/plenum as compared to a Van’s installation?

For the cowling, the work necessary is the same as the Van's installation except for the additional time required to mount the aluminum rings.
The plenum will require adjusting the fitment to your baffles and mounting the appropriate fasteners.

I may be building an RV-8 using the engine from my Mustang II. Can I also use the plenum?

The same plenum is used for all aircraft, they only vary with engine size. 

Our plenums will fit under the stock Van's cowl. The issue is connecting and sealing Van's inlets to the plenum. We can provide fiberglass inlets and rings that may be "grafted in" for some of Van's cowls. Difficulty and results depend upon skill and enthusiasm.

Will the wheel pants fit on other aircraft?

We have wheel pant sizes for use with 600x5, 500x5, 500x4 and 340/300x500 tires. They are universal and will fit most aircraft.

Associated Items

What are the dimensions on the rings?

• X-Large Ring OD "6.00 ID: 5-7/16
• Large Ring: OD 5-1/4 ID 4-5/8
• Medium Ring: OD 4-3/8 ID 3-3/4
• Small Ring: OD 3-3/4 ID 2-7/8

ALL RINGS ARE 1-3/4 IN LENGTH WITH A FLANGE FOR A CLAMP: 7/8 IN LENGTH

Which size rings do I need?

Cowlings are designed to top use specific rings that are provided with each cowl design. For separate ring purchase, email us for advice: support@jamesaircraft.com

What's included with cowl kit?

• 2 Cowl halves
• Oil inspection door
• 3 Aluminum inlet rings
• When ordered with a plenum we include the neoprene and sealant

What other items will I need?

• Flat stock aluminum (alternate air system) approximate size 5"x8" - 0.032” thick
• Flat stock aluminum (engine plenum) approximate size 3'x3' - 0.035" thick
• Aluminum duct tape
• Proseal
• Mill Spec 20257-5 piano hinge for the lower half of cowl, (1) 3’ lengths (on 4 cyl. engines)
• Mill Spec 20257-4 piano hinge for the upper half of cowl, (1) 3’ lengths (on 4 cyl. engines)
• Hinges for firewall attachment (as per Van’s instructions)
• Rivets (as per Van’s Instructions)
• Skybolt Fasteners (if used)
• Mold release wax (good quality car wax will do)
• Acetone
• West System Epoxy or equivalent 
• 2” scat tube (for alternate air inlet nozzle connection to heat muff)
• 12” length of 3” scat hose
• Fiberblass (5.5oz or 7.5oz)
• Flocked Cotton Fiber

What kind of air filter do I need?

K&N Filter E-0995 or KA-1000 (available from James Aircraft for, local auto parts stores, or ordered online).
The MK I, MKII, MKIII, and MKIV kits come with an air filter.

What kind of fasteners should I use?

If you plan to use fasteners to attach the cowl, we prefer Skybolt Fasteners. These have a very nice appearance and are micro adjustable. They are of the finest quality and many people believe that they are worth the extra expense.

Where can I get the fairing filler material you recommend?

We recommend AwlFair. Follow the links at their website to find distributors in your area. For pinholes, be certain to use an epoxy-based filler.

Where can I get the Plastolene clay  mentioned in "Fiberglass 101?"

Plastolene clear clay is available from Suncoast Polygard at 800-282-9498

Will you produce carbon fiber parts?

We currently are not manufacturing any carbon fiber parts but open to discussing it on a one-on-one basis.  Keep in mind the price goes up dramatically when carbon fiber is used.

How come you do not gel coat your parts?

Gel coating in our opinion does nothing except add complexity and cost.  It does not eliminate pin holes and needs to be sanded down anyway to finish parts then properly prime and paint.  Our process of molding parts with a glossy finish greatly reduces pinholes.  Gel coating was done on many OEM kit parts to cover up the number of pinholes in their previous finishes for strictly cosmetic purposes.  

Shipping

Who do you ship with?

For foreign and domestic shipping we use a freight broker which guarantees low prices with our frequent shipper discount. When parts are ready, freight costs will be paid directly to the freight carrier. Pre-shipment estimates are available on request. Smaller parts may go USPS or UPS with postage costs added at the time of initial payment for the parts.

How much will it cost to ship a cowling?

Usually, there are a number of different options: dock pick-up, residential delivery, or commercial delivery to a business address. Dock pick up and commercial delivery are roughly the same price and run approximately $70-$75 less than residential delivery. Shipping estimates can be provided on request. 

Do you ship internationally?

Orders may be shipped worldwide via sea or air. Estimates available upon request. Overseas shipping is expensive. Picking up your shipment from the port of entry (or personally arranging transfer to your address) can mean substantial savings. You can of course request door to door delivery bearing the added cost in mind. We will work with you to provide any service desired.

What payments do you accept?

Payments can be made through our online payment or call 512-429-8749

Should I Get Insurance?

We highly encourage you to add insurance to your package especially large expensive items. If damage or loss occurs while out of our control while in transit the customer will be responsible for filing a claim with the shipper. James Aircraft does not incur any liability for products damaged or lost in shipping and not responsible for replacing them.

Propellers and Extensions

Do I have to use an extended hub prop or prop extension?

This will depend on your engine and cowl selected.  The 320 engine uses a longer engine mount so using this with a 320 engine will not require a prop extension.  If you use a 360-390 engine with a long cowl it will be required.  

We offer three different cowl versions for the RV-6/7/9:

1) The standard length (shorty cowl : (34-5/8" length) for carbureted or updraft fuel injected engines and uses the same propeller/extension combinations as for standard Van's cowling.
This cowling uses Van's filtered air box.

2) The extended length: (37") for carbureted or updraft fuel injected engines

3) The extended length: (37") for forward facing fuel injected engines and updraft,
require either an extended “M” hub propeller (or equivalent), or the “CY2R” hub with a 2-1/2” extension.
For all fixed pitch metal or wooden propellers a 4" extension is required.

All cowl measurements are taken from the firewall to the prop spinner ring and include trim area.

Where can I get a prop extension?

Please contact Saber Manufacturing on the web or call 817-326-6293.

What size prop spinner do I need?

All horizontally opposed engine cowlings use the standard Van’s spinner.

What propeller should I use?

The extended length cowlings were designed for the “M” hub (extended hub) propeller. However, any wooden or metal prop may be used with our cowling along with a propeller/extension combination correctly sized to equal 6.75" from the hub centerline to the mounting flange. 

Some of the newer broad chord props like the Hartzell RB-74, may have contact issues with the cowl inlets, Standard props like the RV series, Catto, etc work fine.

Materials and Quality

How well do your cowling halves fit together?

Our cowling halves fit correctly and should require no bending or re-shaping. They will have to be trimmed at the sides and firewall for length

What material and construction technique is used with your cowl?

The cowl material is a woven cored three dimensional composite comparable to "Nomex Honeycomb" in terms of strength and rigidity but without the paper core. The cowls are generally easier to finish than some but expect to fill some pinholes. This newer material also results in a cowling that is lighter than our previous hand layup. The resin used is vinyl ester, which is non-warping, heat and chemical resistant.

The RV-4 is constructed as a "flat-glass" and epoxy layup without the core material.

Ordering

How do I place an order?

Please send us an email to let us know what you're interested in purchasing: orders@jamesaircraft.com

Please include:

• Specific information with regard to aircraft type, engine type (size and sump orientation) and type of fuel injector servo or carburetor
• Phone number
• E-mail address
• Shipping address

We will contact you as soon as possible to let you know what the estimated production date will be and when payment should be made. We will generally ship a cowling within about thirty days after receiving a payment, although the wait can sometimes be longer depending upon demand.

Foreign orders may require longer lead times due to shipping arrangements.

Parts are generally shipped within 30 days of receiving payment except during summer break and AirVenture and other aviation events.