Club Homepage Forums Classified Ads Buy & Sell - Everything But Airplanes 150 Cowl Plugs

Hi,

Looking at buying a set of cowl plugs to keep the birds and other critters out.

I'm looking at the $34.50 onese from Aircraft Spruce:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/menus/ps/cowlplugs.html

Anyone have any experience with these or have others to recommend?

Regards,

My ever-evolving plan is to use the foam-in-a-can crack sealer to make cutom plugs, molded in place. Still have to test if a open weave cloth will contain the foam while allowing it to cure; it will not cure if sealed up in plastic.

Of course, my "philosophy" is why spend a perfectly reasonable amount of money when you can waste a lot more time and effort re-inventing the wheel

I've seen some with tiny pennants (flags) that stick up above the cowling so that you won't forget they're installed and takeoff. A friend of mine with an RV-6 took off with the cowl plugs installed last week and almost cooked his engine. I made cowl plugs out of a swimmer's kick board. Cost me nothing as I had the board, a rope and a "remove before flight flag." It doesn't have the tiny flags but the two plugs are connected by the rope and if I left them in, the prop turning would catch the rope and fling them off.

I bought a set from Ground Tech Corp. Planecover.com, Jim Cancil. Phone 800 825-1245. They were custom made and have my N number embroidered on the plug. I don't remember what I paid, I think it was around $40 it was lumped in with a plane cover I bought at the same time. They fit snug in the nose of my 152 and the are tied together with a strap that can be wrapped around the prop, so if you do forget to remove them the turning of the prop will pull them out. Of course that may be the last you ever see of them

I have been very pleased with the cover and the plugs.

I'm with Bob. I also bought a set from Jim at Ground Tech. They are the best.

Mine are also from Ground Tech (Plane Cover) [planecover.com]

I think they are about $50 now but worth it!

I bought my cowl plugs at Cee Bailey's. they fit great, but when they embroidered my N#, they put it on upside down. They sent me another set a week later, again the # was upside down. I cut the numbers off and gave up.

Funny you should ask. I just bought a set from Aircraft Spruce. Save your money. They're too small. Buy some styrofoam or something and make your own. Save the $34 for fuel!

You just gave me a great idea. I have some high density foam that was in boxes my instruments were packed in that I was going to throw away....might make a couple of great cowl plugs. I even can probably find some vinyl to cover them with . Now all I need is a piece of wire and a battery to build a hot wire cutter and I am in business.

A fellow do-it-yourselfer...I love it! I've reinvented countless wheels <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />