12 Jul 2026

8 months of backwards and forwards later, 3 cowlings, 4 lower mount brackets, and Sling technical support on site... finally success with the cowling

The Sling technical representative, who fits cowlings at the Sling factory, spent the weekend with me to fit the cowling. There were two key issues, which were solved by creating a cutout in the top rear joggle on either side of the lower cowling to make clearance for the Camloc to fit into the fuselage joggle and, more importantly, replacement of the lower mount bracket since the 916 and 915 style brackets did not fit and prevented the cowlings from closing - the issue I was struggling to resolve. The replacement bracket is from a Sling 2, fitted inverted vs the Sling 2 and one row of rivets high on the engine mount, which means 4 rivets are installed instead of 8 (this is what the factory is doing currently, so it is approved)

Quite a bit of additional fiberglass fill was required on the intercooler NACA duct to match the lower cowling profile, and some additional work is required to address low spots on the cowling

The cowling was trimmed and sanded behind the spinner to get an even shut line. The air filter NACA duct did not align with the air filter housing, so it was sliced and re-angled then fiberglassed in position so it is now much better aligned although it still has a S-shape to the flexible inlet hose