RV14 Build October
This is the section that never ends lol. Time to do the scary part and mount and drill the canopy. You start off by clamping the canopy frame to the rollover bar. There are 4 pieces of wood between the the bars where each clamp is.
The plans recommend that you put weights strategically on the canopy, but with COVID you can't find 10lbs weights so they say a ratchet strap works well too, so a ratchet strap it is.
Marking the rear edge of the canopy for trimming.
Not a great template photo, but you use it to center the canopy and align the leading edge. The template needs to be printed to scale the one in the plans is the wrong size.
Aligning the edge distance to center the canopy
1/32 gap on the canopy and the roll over bar.
Bill came to help me get the canopy on and off and do the trimming. This thing is really hard to move with one person.
You shave the thickness down in this area to help with the transition between the canopy and the skin. I had to call Vans to get some clarity. They said somewhere between doing nothing and shaving to the minimum thickness. The point is to help with the fiberglass transition.
Picture of the other side.
Bill helping sand the the sand and trim the canopy edges.
Still needed help so talked liz into coming the next day to help!
She's gonna make a great co-pilot! Will also be super mad at me when she finds out these are on the internet and Im sure she will say they are bad pictures.
Made this tool to help look through the canopy for drilling. To line up the holes with the parallax.
Just line it up till you see light! Works great.
Only locked liz under there for 2 hours while I drilled. What we really learned today is that she can sit in the plane for 2 hours without having to pee.
All the clekos installed and starting to final drill.
The canopy is officially drilled.
I was a little nervous about lifting the canopy to get Liz out, but it looks great!
Time to topcoat the canopy frame.
Looks good!
Next I measured the canopy to get ready for the fiberglass fairing. You put down 2 layers of electrical tape to protect the canopy during sandig.
Then I used the aft tape line and a 2" tool to mark a front tape line on the canopy frame.
After that I masked off the canopy to paint the dash black. Also made a frame and leveled it to hold the canopy so I don't introduce a twist when fiberglassing. In the end I didn't use this. I layed up the fiberglass on the airplane to make sure then took the canopy off for the sanding.
Used another piece of wood to clamp down and hold the canopy during sanding.
I had some
Tempo Aircraft Enamel left over from the landing light wing hole, I think it should be good here too.
Nice flat black.
Frame looks good with the topcoat and the flat black.
Riveted on the canopy frame sides. Time to start the fiberglass.
The plans have turn the canopy upside down to install the rear seal retainers and you really do have to to install the washers.
The rear seal slides in between the 2 pieces when installed.
Riveted in the canopy wear strips.
Section 38 Canopy Window, Canopy Drilling 40.5 Hours
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