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Canopy Protective Film

DonFromTX

Well Known Member
My progress is slow, and the canopy still has its plastic sheeting covering from Vans. As time wears on, I wonder - has anyone encountered a problem with getting the stuff off the canopy or having damage after a long storage? I would just as soon leave it on yet to avoid scratches etc.
 
I left the plastic wrap on my RV-9A canopy until I was ready to do final assembly. The wrap on the canopy was much harder to peel off than the blue plastic on the aluminum, but it came off clean. It just likes to tear more as you peel it off.
 
Don,
I got some of the paint on stuff from ACS, but haven't used it yet. Im not sure how good it is, but it looked interesting and I thought I would give it a try. Now all I have to do is get around and paint it on! So what this post does is tell you nothing! Sorry! Ha!
 
Notes on the latex liquid mask.

My experience with the latex liquid mask....

whether you are rolling, spraying or brushing on, definitely be sure to get adequate build-up. The liquid loses a lot of film thickness as it dries, and you end up with a paper thin glue that can be impossible to remove. ( this has happened to me on acrylic sign faces numerous times).
a paper thin coat is bad, add coats until you have a decent film, perhaps the thickness of card stock. When you go to remove, it is strong enough that it will peel in big sheets.
Caution: the film dries out over time, and becomes brittle. If it is too dry to peel, adding another coat often rejuvenates the layers beneath.
This stuff also tends to collect dirt and dust, the static charge of the plexi, plus the tackiness of the mask are a bad combination. Be sure to blow off before handling, little specks of grit and metal shavings love to embed in the mask, and if wiped, create the scratches you are trying so hard to avoid!
Try not to wipe the canopy unless you are actually going flying!:)
 
While we are on that subject, what have owners found to be the best to clean and polish the canopy?
 
NO AMMONIA - NO PAPER PRODUCTS

If you are looking for a produced cleaner just make sure it is safe to use on plex, and it will be without ammonia. Had the car windows tinted once and the guys who did it made sure I got a window clean compatible with the applied tinted film, and again ammonia free.

They sent me to Costco and they had a spray window cleaner (in a can, not a clear plastic bottle) that worked great. I have used this on the canopy too.

And there are a number of cream type plex cleaner/polisher compounds out there. One of the past trips to Oshkosh I spent a lot of time shopping the vendors of plex cleaners to find a great product. It was the group who made custom canopies who said to use water. It is the cloth that really makes the difference!! Use 100% cotton or micro fiber. Absolutely no paper they warned me. Even if the paper info says of for plastic...don't use it they warned. I asked them about cutting the bugs and they suggested using a few drops of dish soap with the water.

A bit long winded but the bottom line is the cloth and either water or non-ammonia spray. Worked for me for years now.
 
While we are on that subject, what have owners found to be the best to clean and polish the canopy?

Don,

After almost every flight in my RV-7A I clean the windshield by: spraying on plain water form a spray bottle, using my fingertips to dissolve bugs, etc. from the windshield, then I dry the windshield with ONLY a clean microfiber cloth. Windshield still looks great after almost 9 years.

Once a month or so I use a Windshield specific spray cleaner (Clear View, Plexus, etc...), and I always use a microfiber cloth to wipe dry... And then once in a while I use "Wash and Wax All" to give the windshield a nice non-stick protective coating, and then wipe dry with microfiber.

Good luck.

Victor
 
Water

When I was getting my license my instructor directed me to wet the canopy with a lot of water. This will get rid of loose partials on the plexiglass that my scratch it. After the loose granular stuff is out of the way, my guess is any plexi safe cleanser will do. Just make sure your not scratching the plexi with grit on the cloth or any grit the water failed the wash off.
 
Plexiglass cleaner caution

Don,

I have been having very good results just cleaning the canopy with a mixture of Dawn dish washing detergent and water. I use two microfiber cloths one soaked with a Dawn + distilled water solution and another to dry off the canopy. I also would suggest wiping in one direction only (with air flow) to avoid any swirls in the plexiglass.

That said, if you feel you must use a plexiglass cleaner please take heed ... not all of the plexiglass cleaners are compatible with the acrylic rear window installed on the older RV-12's so you must read the label VERY closely. Of course, if you have the new plexiglass rear window installed in place of the acrylic window, then disregard this paragraph.

Correction: As Joe so eloquently pointed out in post #14 I've reversed the names of the materials used on the front and rear windows on the older RV-12's. However, the point I was making still rings true ... some of the Plexiglass cleaners are NOT compatible with both polycarbonate and Acrylic materials so read the labels very carefully..

Happy flying,
 
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Water

Every airshow I go to I ask the windshield and canopy manufacturers what to use, hoping for some kind of a new miracle product, but they always say the same thing "water!".

Lots of water using your hand (obviously with no jewelry), and a microfiber cloth.
 
The original rear window was made of polycarbonate. Acrylic and Plexiglas are the same thing. Plexiglas is a brand name. I believe that the canopy and rear window are now both acrylic.
 
Hijacked Thread - back on topic

So, you windshield cleaners realize you completely hijacked this thread from post #6 on.

Anyone else have information about the OP question on encountering problems with getting the plastic canopy film off over time?
 
So, you windshield cleaners realize you completely hijacked this thread from post #6 on.

Anyone else have information about the OP question on encountering problems with getting the plastic canopy film off over time?

Yes, back on subject...:)

I had 20 year old clear plastic on my canopy. It had gone brittle and stuck over most of it's area.

I used isopropyl alcohol soaking and very gentle fingernail action to remove it a small bit at a time. Took a while but it all came off with no damage.
 
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