| Building the Cowl for the L-4, J-Kota, Inspirer Biplane and Flybaby Biplane |
The Cowl assembly for the 1:8 Scale L-4 is also used on the J-Kota Biplane and Flybaby Biplane,
so I thought it might be a good time to offer the assembly instructions here. The photos and captions
below will walk you through the step-by-step process of trimming, assembling and detailing the cowl
and dummy Continental A-65 engine.
so I thought it might be a good time to offer the assembly instructions here. The photos and captions
below will walk you through the step-by-step process of trimming, assembling and detailing the cowl
and dummy Continental A-65 engine.
| Tools Needed; Hobby Knife Dremmel Rotary tool with Large and Small Sanding Drums Small Paint Brush (#2 or so) Sharp scissors - preferably the curved type 220 grit wet/dry sandpaper Liquid Weld Cement for styrene plastics Medium Gap Filling Cya or 5 Minute Epoxy Primer and paint of choice |
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| I prefer using Liquid Weld Cement for plastics as it gives a better joint, and won't leave the plastic brittle like Cya. There are several brands available that will work well. Check the plastic model section of your hobby shop and use what they have available. |
| The Cowl Kit comes on 3 Vac-Formed sheets, and includes the Cowl, dummy Continental A-65 engine cylinders, cylinder mount cavities, valve covers, and cooling baffles (eyebrows). |
| Begin by cutting the Cowl from the backing sheet 1/16" above the excess plastic. Then open up the indented areas on both sides to accept the cylinder assemblies. Then the prop opening and oil cooler slot can be trimmed open. You can open up the carburetor air box inlet too, but that's up to you. |
| Trim the Upper and Lower Cylinder halves from the carrier sheet leaving 1/8" or so of excess material around the perimeter. Then glue the halves together. When the glue has dried, cut the bottom off as shown and fill the concave seams on the inside with either 5 minute epoxy or medium Cya and allow to dry thoroughly. |
| The dummy cylinder mount cavities are cut out next. Note that they are marked L and R. Align them with the cutouts, on the inside of the cowl, and glue them in place. |
| Cut the Valve Covers and Eyebrows from the carrier sheet and sand the edges nice and smooth. Leave a 3/32" or so wide lip at the top of the eyebrows as shown. Also leave a fair amount of material at the bottom so that the fit can be trimmed in nicely to the cylinders once they're installed into their mount cavities. |
| Once the glue has dried thoroughly, trim and sand the excess plastic from around the cylinders. Fill any remaining gaps with glue and sand. |
At this point the parts are assembled, sanded, and ready to paint. Go to for all the Details |
| Once the Cylinder Assemblies are trimmed and sanded, fit them into the cowl. You might need to trim the openings a bit to slip them in, but work slowly so you get a nice snug fit. Align the Cylinder banks so that they are nice and straight when viewed from the top and front. If they're "cockeyed", they'll ruin the look of the whole model -- plus, you'll have a heck of a time trying to get the Eyebrows aligned during final assembly. |
