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RV-7A rebirthing

skirt parts

I have a gig starting tomorrow so might be the last post for a little while, and not much of one at that.

Need to cut canopy sides about here:

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Skirt brace:

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skirts

Figuring out the side skirts. I am determined to use aluminum

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This side went pretty well, need to trim where the skirt is even with the top of the side skin where you can see the black sharpie
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So this side is being a pain in the arse. I will be remaking one or both of the anchor blocks to help with fitment.

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Done with skirts forward

Got these hammered out save for a bit of fitting which I will do after I get the
anchor blocks done.

The slider is slightly open in the pictures:

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Metal work looks great Kent! Now we may need to talk about your favorite football team on the wall... :D
 
Metal work looks great Kent! Now we may need to talk about your favorite football team on the wall... :D

Doing my best and steady as fast as possible, thank you!

I was a Dolphins fan for years and have pretty much stuck to college ball
for the last 20 years.
 
Finally got the canopy trimmed to final size! I think...

Just to 320 currently

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Might have sanded a bit beyond what I had intended but not more than 30 thou
 
Had to belt sand both sides and resand to get to proper size.

Will start the Sika in a day, woo hoo.
 
Had to belt sand both sides and resand to get to proper size.

Will start the Sika in a day, woo hoo.

I am still sanding the canopy plex. I am sneaking up on a good fit and find that
a bit here and a bit there is getting me a good straight fit on the sides where it meets the side inner skirt pieces.
 
Canopy

I have been trimming and trimming and I think I am almost there.

Just a bit more on oneside of the interface with the inner skirt and I think I can glue it up. After prepping it of course.

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I did it this way. Seemed like a good idea at the time and seems to be working. Beveled the edge of the plexi, will be glued along this line.
It shows a small gap which is only at the rearmost portion.
 
Ready to prep for gluing the glass on. These pic's really don't show much but wanted to do something this morning, got up too early. Again.

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Kent I'm really looking forward to seeing that Sika process, looks like your getting close!
 
Cool beans. Looks like you are getting along quite nicely with that canopy. Thanks for the pics!

RVforme,
Thank you. I work when there is time and now have a bit of downtime from the project for work. Back on it toot sweet!
 
So I am down for a week or more waiting for Sika primer...Arrgh. Picked up some locally form another builder and it turned out to be the wrong stuff...so I am waiting. Waiting is new to me as I have Van's down the street. Now I know what it feels like to wait for parts and material.

With shop space at near zero level, I can't really do much until I get this canopy glued and on the fuse out of the way.
 
So I am down for a week or more waiting for Sika primer...Arrgh. Picked up some locally form another builder and it turned out to be the wrong stuff...so I am waiting. Waiting is new to me as I have Van's down the street. Now I know what it feels like to wait for parts and material.

With shop space at near zero level, I can't really do much until I get this canopy glued and on the fuse out of the way.

Kent why such a long wait for the stuff?
 
Kent why such a long wait for the stuff?

That is the estimate from Florida they gave me. I used Merritt, much less money than other suppliers.
I found I can work on the wheels and brakes on the back patio after I get some "honey-doos" out of the way...haha I have to disassemble from bent legs, clean and reassemble.

If I get motivated that is...

I expect a pile of pic's and progress any moment now from you... :)
 
That is the estimate from Florida they gave me. I used Merritt, much less money than other suppliers.
I found I can work on the wheels and brakes on the back patio after I get some "honey-doos" out of the way...haha I have to disassemble from bent legs, clean and reassemble.

If I get motivated that is...

I expect a pile of pic's and progress any moment now from you... :)

Good to know that info on the sika for when it's time I order some. There is always something to do tho it seems lol

Ya I just got back into town and my rivet buddy is going to the mountains for a day or two, it's holding me up. :) Oh well, I am probably going to start fabricating a bunch of little things until he gets here.
 
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So I took the plunge today and feel pretty good the job is done. Kind of messy and not as clean as I would have liked but it is solid

You do need more clamps when you actually glue it up. I, fortunately, have dozens so just grabbed a bunch out of the bin.

Not sure when I pull the tape off. I need to let it cure then backfill and then I pull it off I believe is the procedure.

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So I took off the tape and revealed a decent job but not even close to great. I didn't put "great" time into it and learning on the fly is kind of cool...most of the time.


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Kent, those beads look pretty decent to me. I have also seen someone put a second finish coat on there to pretty things up a bit if it bothers you.
 
Kent, those beads look pretty decent to me. I have also seen someone put a second finish coat on there to pretty things up a bit if it bothers you.

Jeremy, I didn't post photos of the BAD beads hahaha...

It did spread some.
Even with it being pinched 0.375" or a bit better it opened up over half an inch I think. When one of my sons gets home I will have them help me position it on the plane.

So glad this is mostly done...
 
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Jeremy, I didn't post photos of the BAD beads hahaha...

It did spread some.
Even with it being pinched 0.375" or a bit better it opened up over half an inch I think. When one of my sons gets home I will have them help me position it on the plane.

So glad this is mostly done...

Kent do you mean that the canopy frame spread that much? If so, holy cow! I'm sure it's normal but dang.
 
Kent do you mean that the canopy frame spread that much? If so, holy cow! I'm sure it's normal but dang.

So I measured it wrong somehow.
It only spread about 3/16" maybe a less. Slides excellent...


...but when I closed the darn thing the windscreen is all out of shape. Not bent just strangely executed and must come off! AARrrghhh!

For some reason, there is about 1/2-3/4 of filler on the left side of the roll bar between the bar and the windscreen...let me take a pic.


This is at a pretty obtuse angle, you can see how jacked up it is:

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Here is one a bit more in line with the side of the plane:

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It is bad. I guess I just missed this and there was really nothing to be done anyway so darn it!
 
Dang that's a little too noticably. So I'm assuming that windscreen was already on there? Shouldn't be too bad to get it off but what do I know. Too bad you are gonna have to redo the fiberglass blending too... :(
 
Dang that's a little too noticeable. So I'm assuming that windscreen was already on there? Shouldn't be too bad to get it off but what do I know. Too bad you are gonna have to redo the fiberglass blending too... :(

Carne, I just tore into it full tilt! You can't believe how this was built!

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The upcoming photos show the gap purposefully built into the windscreen with custom-made tabs of two parts each:

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Check out that gaposis on this photo!

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I'm sorry man but I literally laughed out loud when I saw that gap in pic number 3. Glad you are redoing this as that gap is atrocious! I think you will be happier in the end when the new windscreen. Question, did that fiberglass come off that easy? Looks like it wasn't adhered as well as I would have thought to the windscreen and the metal. It's been a long time since I have worked with the stuff so maybe my thinking is off...
 
No, it was on well.

I used the well-established technique of HEAT gun
and the non-tool end of a hole locating tool slightly chisel pointed to pry
it up and off.

It was a drag...I hope there isn't some hidden reason for this gap that has as of yet not revealed itself.

I have a few more photos that are worth posting, laughing allowed

I am not so cheery...boo hoo
 
No, it was on well.

I used the well-established technique of HEAT gun
and the non-tool end of a hole locating tool slightly chisel pointed to pry
it up and off.

It was a drag...I hope there isn't some hidden reason for this gap that has as of yet not revealed itself.

I have a few more photos that are worth posting, laughing allowed

I am not so cheery...boo hoo

I hear ya man. It just seems to me like it wasn't clamped. I have seen a few build logs where they have to clamp it in this section.
 
Windshield Troubles

Well that the way it goes sometimes. Good part is this needs to be straightened out and you going to fix that.

Don B
 
Well that the way it goes sometimes. Good part is this needs to be straightened out and you going to fix that.

Don B

Yes indeed!

I have some tweaking to do on the slider, it is almost good enough but the left rear of the frame hits the top skin when it goes back initially. The very back of the lowest part. Seems to have moved somewhat during the gluing and clamping business. I cut a new block for the pintle deal to go into to help and that didn't help so I have to try something else.

Is it possible to move the plexi with a little blow dryer heat? My windscreen has a major gaposis just about in the same place as the old one did.
 
Heat

Not sure where you want to move it, but don?t think it?s a viable plan. Would a longer windshield section work better?


Don Broussard
 
Not sure where you want to move it, but don?t think it?s a viable plan. Would a longer windshield section work better?


Don Broussard

At this point, I am not sure. I seem to have plenty of plastic, it just has a hump in it. It might relax when I trim it as it is not trimmed in the front yet.

I have a number of little squawks on the slider and it irritates me as I really had it all in hand and now that the glass is on it is not quite good enough...darn it...

I need to step away and visit it in a week or so with a fresh set of eyes.

When are you back out here Don? I want you to look at it for me.
 
After much deliberation, I have decided that I am in good shape overall.

I just needed to settle down and realize that this portion of the build is a bit more involved and needs extra attention to the small details. I can tweak this one step at a time.

As my buddy always says: "One crisis at a time Kent"

Going to get at the first wing I think and revisit the windscreen just a bit down the road.
 
Changed my mind again...
Going to get the windscreen at least cut to size and set up on the fuse.

More of the mass amounts of filler removed and top skin all clean


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Just about ready to get going tonight have a location to scout in an hour so off I go.
 
Getting the new roll bar set

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Almost home on this darn thing. I cut another new set of anchor blocks to get them spot on. They are cheap and I have an adjustable jig set up so it is pretty fast.
My slider canopy is a bit low even with the spacers compared to the windscreen so a little fudging will take place I guess...
 
I am calling the roll bar/canopy interface done.

Finally...

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I didn't get a shot from the other direction but they are parallel if not a bit more
clearance between.
 
Started the gear because I felt like it was a good time

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Need to clean up the brakes and install them on the new gear legs etc etc
 
Grips

Got my grips in process

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They are foregrips from my Steyr AUG clone project from many years back. I have like 125 of them left over so I thought I would put a few to good use.
 
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mount

Got the mount on:

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Went in nice and the center two bolt locations came in flush with the firewall so no need for spacers there!
 
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