Cessna 182 cowling flaps

Peter Ha

Peter Ha

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Hey folks,
A C150 pilot here trying to get high-performance endorsement on 182. Currently practicing on sims.
On 182 what's cowl flaps switch used for? And when would I use this; landing? takeoff? high density? Is this on checklist during landing?
 
You can leave the cowl flaps open in cruise. Closing them adds a knot or so of airspeed.
 
Peter Ha said:
A C150 pilot here trying to get high-performance endorsement on 182. Currently practicing on sims.
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How do you practice for a HP endorsement on a simulator?
 
RyanB said:
How do you practice for a HP endorsement on a simulator?
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Before paying for CFI and rental on 182; am studying and practicing on sims (which is free)
 
Salty said:
More right rudder. There, I did more good than the simulator will.
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On my 150, too much right-rudder aversely affect flight-characteristics.
Therefore "more right rudder" is poor advice on my plane.
 
Peter Ha said:
On my 150, too much right-rudder aversely affect flight-characteristics.
So, no "more right rudder" is poor advise on my plane.
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A high performance aircraft will require more right rudder on power application and in climb. There's really not much more to the endorsement than that.
 
Peter Ha said:
Before paying for CFI and rental on 182; am studying and practicing on sims (which is free)
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I get that, but the simulator isn’t helping you at all with preparing for a HP endorsement.
 
Peter Ha said:
On my 150, too much right-rudder aversely affect flight-characteristics.
Therefore "more right rudder" is poor advice on my plane.
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He’s talking about the 182 - not your 150.
 
Peter Ha said:
On my 150, too much right-rudder aversely affect flight-characteristics.
Therefore "more right rudder" is poor advice on my plane.
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When did a 182 thread start giving 150 flight advice?

You ask for HP advice, receive it, and tell us it’s inappropriate for your LP airplane? Peter, I believe you’re confused.
 
Now for some helpful advice:

When I was learning HP, I imagined a string tied from the CS Prop to the cowl flaps. Seemed every time a prop change was appropriate, it was time to at least consider the cowl flaps.

The mental hook has served me well.
 
Rgbeard said:
Now for some helpful advice:

When I was learning HP, I imagined a string tied from the CS Prop to the cowl flaps. Seemed every time a prop change was appropriate, it was time to at least consider the cowl flaps.

The mental hook has served me well.
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That's a good way to look at it. Seems like more of a complex thing than HP though.
 
Cowl flaps open on the ground, in climb, and are sometimes manipulated to regulate CHTs. The speed of everything and sight picture will be the biggest adjustments for you. Also, trim, trim, trim…. Learn to make yourself use it, and use lots of nose up trim landing. It’s a very docile airplane, but most new 182 pilots land on the nose wheel, due to the high panel, and bend the firewall. The CS prop is dead simple, once the concept clicks.
 
Salty said:
That's a good way to look at it. Seems like more of a complex thing than HP though.
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CS prop/cowl flaps are both on 99% of HP aircraft, including the 182. No need for a complex endorsement for those.
 
I think the lines on those two are commonly blurred. 182 is complex except for retracts.
 
Home sim training isn’t going to give you the feel for how much trim you need on final and landing. Nose is heavy. That is really the big main difference IMO
 
Open cowl flaps on landing too!

frankly I just leave open unless it’s winter or I’m fairly high otoh I get two knots not one!

leave them shut when parked, critters like warm
 
Randomskylane said:
Open cowl flaps on landing too!

frankly I just leave open unless it’s winter or I’m fairly high otoh I get two knots not one!

leave them shut when parked, critters like warm
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I leave them closed on descent and landing to keep the heat in.
 
Nothing wrong with using a simulator, but unless the sim panel will look exactly like the C182 panel your checkout is in I doubt you will look back and find it was useful. If you haven't flown anything other than a C150 then the C182 will likely be very foreign and you will likely feel way behind the airplane. But after an hour or two it won't be a big deal. Unfortunately, you will likely never feel the same way about a C150... ;-) Good Luck and have fun!
 
idahoflier said:
Nothing wrong with using a simulator, but unless the sim panel will look exactly like the C182 panel your checkout is in I doubt you will look back and find it was useful. If you haven't flown anything other than a C150 then the C182 will likely be very foreign and you will likely feel way behind the airplane. But after an hour or two it won't be a big deal. Unfortunately, you will likely never feel the same way about a C150... ;-) Good Luck and have fun!
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Thanks, having fun learning... that is my plan.
I'm fortunate enough not doing this for career grind but fun. Hope to carry more load for trip to Catalina Island airport then camping.
Someone said "a good pilot is always learning" Well, i've been stagnant since my PPL and complex-endorsement. So this is great excuse/motivation to learn on new plane. Yes, people tell me after 182; I will be tired of my 150. When i hit that lotto... 182 is first thing on my list. LOL
 
You might want to actually look at the manual to determine what are acceptable Manifold/RPM combinations. Which ones will you likely use, they vary even between various models of 182’s. The 182 might also have some advance engine management instruments such a an Engine Analyzer (EGT/CHT) and/or a Fuel Flow Guage. If it does there is a lot to learn about how to use those and manage your engine and CHT/EGT temperatures.

A lot of the training will be learning how to manage the power settings and engine tempuratures.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL
 
@Peter Ha - a few more things the sim won't really help with

1. The glareshield on the 182 is almost ridiculously tall. The cowl flaps lever/knob when full closed almost reaches the floor. The average 50 yr old linkage isn't always buttery smooth. So, when you go to close them, depending on your height your eyes are very likely to leave looking out the window as you reach down to find the knob and then push all the way to the floor. The fuel selector is also in the "eyes no longer out the window" group.

2. One teaching is cowl flaps closed on descent and landings. No problem there. So in a go around situation focus first on throttle, carb heat and elevator trim first...then cowl flaps to open. Its okay if it takes you extra time to open them. The last thing you want in a HP plane is adding full power with landing elevator trim near full nose up (go around) , push in throttle and then be messing with eyes no longer out the window while fidgeting heads down for a cowl flap.

3. When it gets down to 35F or colder I never open them. Not even to start the plane.

4. When it gets above 80F or so I never close them unless up at higher altitude where it might be considerably colder.

5. Sometimes the linkage will kink up a bit. When this happens you'll hear them pop back to about the middle position. Just slowly and smoothly push them back down again.

6. They should stay in whatever position you place them in. They should not fall down or push shut at cruise. They are purely mechanical. They operate together so both always in same position.

7. If you fly someplace cold for a short stop like lunch keep them closed and if you have cowl nose plugs it will retain hear nicely.

8. If you have an engine oil quick drain just open the cowl flaps and run a drain tube out the pilot side cowl flap to avoid removing entire lower cowl for oil changes.

9. Lots of occurances of cowl flaps being lost in flight. Not a bad idea to check them more closely every 5-10hrs or so. Check that linkage and hinge are correct.

10. If you or another party have removed the lower cowling they also need to fully disconnect the cowl flaps. So after that mx make sure they are hooked up again.
 
Sinistar said:
@Peter Ha - a few more things the sim won't really help with

1. The glareshield on the 182 is almost ridiculously tall. The cowl flaps lever/knob when full closed almost reaches the floor. The average 50 yr old linkage isn't always buttery smooth. So, when you go to close them, depending on your height your eyes are very likely to leave looking out the window as you reach down to find the knob and then push all the way to the floor. The fuel selector is also in the "eyes no longer out the window" group.

2. One teaching is cowl flaps closed on descent and landings. No problem there. So in a go around situation focus first on throttle, carb heat and elevator trim first...then cowl flaps to open. Its okay if it takes you extra time to open them. The last thing you want in a HP plane is adding full power with landing elevator trim near full nose up (go around) , push in throttle and then be messing with eyes no longer out the window while fidgeting heads down for a cowl flap.

3. When it gets down to 35F or colder I never open them. Not even to start the plane.

4. When it gets above 80F or so I never close them unless up at higher altitude where it might be considerably colder.

5. Sometimes the linkage will kink up a bit. When this happens you'll hear them pop back to about the middle position. Just slowly and smoothly push them back down again.

6. They should stay in whatever position you place them in. They should not fall down or push shut at cruise. They are purely mechanical. They operate together so both always in same position.

7. If you fly someplace cold for a short stop like lunch keep them closed and if you have cowl nose plugs it will retain hear nicely.

8. If you have an engine oil quick drain just open the cowl flaps and run a drain tube out the pilot side cowl flap to avoid removing entire lower cowl for oil changes.

9. Lots of occurances of cowl flaps being lost in flight. Not a bad idea to check them more closely every 5-10hrs or so. Check that linkage and hinge are correct.

10. If you or another party have removed the lower cowling they also need to fully disconnect the cowl flaps. So after that mx make sure they are hooked up again.
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Sounds like your cowl flap cables need to be replaced. It’s not too bad of a job
 
ktup-flyer said:
Sounds like your cowl flap cables need to be replaced. It’s not too bad of a job
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Yes, many of them are shot. But many will pop out of position because the detents in the mechanism at the panel are worn out. Some pilots aren't too careful about how they handle that lever, and skid over the detents, wearing them. And Cessna never dreamed that these airplanes would still be flying 50 and 60 years later, so they didn't design in stouter parts made of harder stuff.

Cowl flaps fall off because mechanics are lazy at annual time. They only glance at stuff sometimes, not getting down on the floor and playing with the cowl flaps to see what might be getting worn too far, so the rivets holding the piano hinges to the flap get loose and pull out, or the hinge pin wears and creeps out, or whatever. There are dozens of such places in an airplane that get ignored like that, and the stuff piles up until the airplane sells and the new guy's first annual, with a more conscientious mechanic goes to work on it.
 
Or just replace your movable cowl flaps with fixed cowl flaps like I did on my 182. Then you can look at the inop lever and pretend you're going 1-2k faster.
 
Honestly, just go fly and learn from your instructor. Trying to self teach something like a high performance using a home sim is just learning bad habits or incorrect procedures, and may actually set you back.

I had a pilot with 2,000 hours in his Archer come to me for a HP/Complex endorsement and checkout. He had over thought the operation of the constant speed prop so much it had driven his anxiety way up. Once we got in the airplane and we flew, he was like," That's it? I spent months worrying about this for nothing?"
 
As other explained, cowl flaps are mostly for high power low speed operations to cool the engine.

If you have an engine monitor, talk to your CFI about what temps your trying to keep and about "shock cooling". There's various opinions about what temps to aim for as aluminum changes a bit a certain temps.

Lastly, consider descent planning across all your flights outside the pattern.
 
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