Gotta have a way to check the oil in that big Lycoming
. Yet another opportunity to bugger up that beautiful cowling!!!
After marking the location and size of the door I was initially gonna just cut it out and make it openable....but decided that since it still didn't access anything, I'd just make it "look" the part.
On a gelcoat/fiberglass structure you can carefully cut through the gelcoat
without going through the underlying FG, resulting in what appears to be a separate panel but is actually still part of the structure. For this I used a gunsmith's wood checkering tool called a "V" cutter, which worked perfectly. The "hinge" is made from the shank of an aluminum pop-rivet, grooved to look like a piano hinge. Once the cowling is painted it will be glued into its slot and 2 stainless button-head screws will be glued into the holes "securing" the hatch
A light under the cowling shines thru the lines where the gelcoat has been cut away.