Canopy frame to forward top skin fit

I've already trimmed the forward top skin slightly to allow the canopy frame to fit all the way forward, but should I go ahead and trim the skin up to the red line, or somewhere in between?

Jeff,

I have not cut mine yet but my plan is to cut it along that line I know some do and some don't. But I think if you cut it you will not have to notch the skirt. Would like to here from some that have been there and done that.

I cut mine and then extended the windscreen bow all the way down and faired it into the skin. Turned out nice IMHO.

Go ahead and cut the skin at the red line. You can even get rid of that last pesky rivet and skin there too. You will lap over that skin and the canopy skirt with fiberglass layups to form a "targa strip" to span the windscreen/canopy gap.

Thanks for the info guys.

jthocker said:

Go ahead and cut the skin at the red line. You can even get rid of that last pesky rivet and skin there too. You will lap over that skin and the canopy skirt with fiberglass layups to form a "targa strip" to span the windscreen/canopy gap.

Click to expand...

Good to know Jon, I fretted over that dumb rivet and the look of the skin for the longest time.

Forward progress will continue tomorrow.....until it gets too hot.....

Skirt to forward top skin fit.

When my skirt is held close to the canopy frame ribs the skirt would slide under the edges of the forward top skin. It takes about 0.080" of shims between the skirt and frame ribs to get the skirt to slide outside the forward top skin. When the canopy is closed there is about 1/2" of longitudinal overlap between skirt forward edge and the rear edge of the forward top skin.

My beginner questions are:

Should I trim the forward top skin (as shown in the picture above) so that when the canopy is closed the forward edge of the skirt lines up with the aft edge of the top skin aft edge?

Should I trim the forward edge of the skirt to line up with the aft edge of the skin, instead of trimming the skin, which is already riveted on (as shown in the picture above)?

Should I shim the skirt away from the canopy frame ribs so that the outside of the skirt is inside, flush or outside the forward top skin?

Thanks for any assistance you can offer.

Cheers

Nigel

jthocker said:

Go ahead and cut the skin at the red line. You can even get rid of that last pesky rivet and skin there too. You will lap over that skin and the canopy skirt with fiberglass layups to form a "targa strip" to span the windscreen/canopy gap.

Click to expand...

What Jon said. Just did mine that exact way.

After debating for some time and even trying the curve thing, I decided to cut it straight to match the joint below. I drilled out the pesky rivet and re-riveted after the cut. I then overlapped the glass when I did the windscreen fairing. Nothing else seemed to make sense and it worked out great...



Note a couple of extra layers of tape to give some clearance to the overlap... This was taken to document the sigh of relief when the canopy actually separated from the fairing... Whew!!

Worked a treat

Thanks for the tips chaps. I took a hacksaw and file to mine last night and trimmed so that the top forward skin is inline with the front windscreen. i.e. I continued the line shown in the OP photo straight all the way down. I then trimmed the front edge of the skirt to butt up against it. Now for some fiber glassing.
Cheers
Nigel