This is my journey to build an Vans RV14 from plans. With the exception that I have later decided to order the RV14 Quick Build Wing. Building mostly alone I was worried about riveting well do to the large size of the wings.
Before the frame the plans have you made the canopy latch.
Making the stiffener angles for the side skin
This required some trimming of the canopy. Not in the plans but...
Getting these pop rivets in was a little tricky. Very tight space.
Installing the locking pin mounts.
Making the push rod. Dont both torquing it now, you will need to adjust it to contact the micro switch potentially later.
I primed and top coated the handles with the cover panels and the seats.
Doesn't quite close flush, so I will shave it down in the future.
Open, view from the inside.
Open, view from outside.
I had some trouble when I made the roll bar and it came back to bite me. My holes weren't aligned well so I can the reamer through the one side and all is well now.
Getting the canopy frame parts to start.
Test fitting the canopy frame
Marking and flutting the areas where needed. It ended up being the same 2 flanges and all 4 parts.
Another view of the flutted flange.
Getting ready to prime. Dont mind the tagging in the background, my girlfriend painted a bookshelf in the shop and well...
Primed.
Canopy hinge assembly.
Installing the frame to the hinges. These are harder than the should be to set. Very close to the hinge assemble so you can't squeeze them and have to use and offset rivet set. Got this set up from Smash's RV-14 Build. Really good site. Check it out!
View after.
More of the assemble coming together.
Yo udo have to make sure your installing the correct pieces, because they have slightly different angles for left and right.
The alignment bars Vans uses are really nice to keep everything straight.
I had a really hard time figuring out which way I wanted this to be level. So I tried to level it in every way I could think of.
I think leveling this way down below on the 2X4 the part is sitting on is what the plans mean after messing with it for ever. Then comparing these angles side to side.
Almost there. Turns out my digital level was more consistent upside down because of the shape of the bottom. Once i figure this out I was able to repeatedly get angles.
Making the side rails.
You can see in the bottom left the flutting. This is way more important than I realized. I would use the side deck of the fuselage to compare the flutes to make these level to. It is those after all that the rails will be sitting on so, might as well make them as close t parallel as possible. Didn't realize till after. Caused a few headaches.
Pre bend the angle with the side of the fuselage. Again be as accurate as you can with this. Once you drill everything in place that Locks in the shape of the canopy frame side.
After priming. Thesy have you rivet these but with the shop head in the countersink to make them flush on the bottom and have a nice round manufactured head on top.
How I really flattened them out when the squeezer wouldn't.
Flush!
Match drilling the aft canopy rail. This is were a really started to notice how important it was to get the flutting and bend angles correct.
Match drilling the side skins.
Making the canopy handles.
One of the few raw parts you make in this kit.
Match drilling
The aft canopy frame and handle. Again Vans uses a jig to make sure correct alignment.
Just wanted to see how it all went together.
Match and final drilling the aft canopy from adn handle.
Aligning and drilling the frame splice.
That always feels good when its done!
I moved the canopy frame to my stand because I knew i could level that easier so I could make sure the frame was then level threw out the drilling.
Lots of clekos in and out during this part. Lots of drilling.
Match drilling the top skin.
More match drilling with the side rails.
Then take everything aparts and debur.
Put it back together, hopefully for the last time.
Rivet
More Rivet progress.
Now for the underside. This is where you have to be careful and check level a lot. Every 4th rivet.
Making slow progress, but I really dont want a bend canopy frame
Adding on the side rails.
Riveting on the aft roll over.
Couldn't help myself had to put it on the plane!
This is where I noticed the side gap wasn't even and wondered it my previous flutting was at fault.
Side to side it 1/32 different...Maybe im being too picky.
Small gap left with the side skins on. I could make new ones, but decided it wasn't worth the effort.
This is a big section so I think Im going to break the post down into logical parts, this one will cover the baggage area window.
First you try to align the window on the frame so its even on both sides and clamp it.
The inside edge on the side is what I was really using to get it even.
Once you have it were you like it you start to measure the distance of the leading edge to find the smallest forward area in relation to the roll bar.
Note and mark the centerline
Mark the area with the smallest forward and measure it.
Cut relief notches in the back the same depth as the smallest forward area.
Remove the plastic in the mating area.
Special plastic bit for drilling the holes
Clekoing while drilling
Top is done, now for the sides.
You have to tap the roll bar for the #6 screws. They have you put a washer between the frame and canopy at the roll bar support to take up the gap.
Tapping the roll bar. It tells you to tap both the window and the roll bar, but you end up final drilling the window later. I think it might just be to make sure the holes you tap are aligned with the holes you drilled.
After tightening I had a few gaps in the window on the roll bar. Not sure what I could have done differently about it.
This hole you cant get to with a squeezer to dimple. You also break this edge down with the seamer after you drill, but debore you dimple.
Luckily I had this screw dimpler from before and it worked great! Love having tools when you need them, I mean what a feeling lol
Next you tape the leading edge and start to sand and fit and sand and fit.
Made a #6 dimple from scrap as a tool to check the countersink depth.
Almost done, just need to install the lower screws.
Looking Good!
Just when I thought I was done I had noticed I had interference with 2 rivets on the fastback, Used the dremel to notch out the window for these. One on each side of the roll bar brace.
