Brief Description: Drill Lower Cowl to Bottom Hinges
Now that the bottom and side hinges are riveted to the firewall I decided to install the lower cowl again and drill it to the hinges. I started at the inboard ends and worked my way outboard. I used the corresponding rivets on the fuselage to position each hole on the cowl. I was able to reach in through the open center section to hold the hinges while drilling to prevent them from rotating upward against the pressure of the drill bit.
One other note, I had to remove the exhaust pipes since they were preventing the bottom of the cowl from laying flat against the hinges. I'm not sure how I will ultimately deal with this interference problem since I can't seem to rotate the exhaust pipes enough to not hit either the cowl or the engine mount.
Also, I had to trim the slot for the nose gear leg a bit on the right side to have the same clearance as on the left side.
