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Tinted canopy??

T

tonyjohnson

Well Known Member
I am considering using a tinted canopy. I live in Florida and would like to diminish the effects of the scorching Florida sun. The only downside seems to be reduced visibility for night flight. I wonder if there are other considerations that I may be missing.

I would be interested in the opinions, speculations and musings of others on the topic.

Tony Johnson
RV8A
Orlando
 
I guess under the heading of both musings and speculation, I'd like to see someone be able to cast a bi-pigment canopy where the "roof" area would have about a 30% tint, but then transitions downward into full clear (but UV protected) for all lateral viewing.

Since properly done window tint film used on cars can last a very long time, perhaps that might be an option for applying on the inside top surface of the canopy? That would have the added advantage of being able to be removed later in case you wanted to go with a darker, or lighter, or different color, tint.

Here's a fun Floridian link:
http://consumerguide.tcpalm.com/detail.asp?subcat_id=185
 
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Vern,

While we are musing, it would be great if we could get a canopy made of the stuff they make the "transitional" eyeglass lenses from. The canopy would change tint based upon the ambient light :)

The window tint would probably be hard to place on the curvature of the canopy.

I guess I will have to decide whether to squint in the sun of the day, or squint to see out of a dark canopy at night.

Tony
 
Even here, in the 'Uppa US' lattitudes, the summer sun is often a bit overpowering.
I'll bet that anyone who develops some kind of shielding as described above will sell quite a few! It's not just the RVs that are on the warm side of this issue.
 
One cute trick for an RV'er who's also in the plastics business might be to pull a mold from the inside of an RV canopy (that's step #1).
Step #2 would be to then form plexi formed panels in various UV absorbing tints that would cover a portion of the top of the canopy.
Step #3 is to use one of the magical adhesives that would allow a retainer to be bonded onto the inside at all four corners of where the new panel would attach in place.

If the the attachments were a "clip on" type, the user could take the panel off at any time, and the only obstruction left would be the very small attachment corner pieces.

Since I'm just the "idea guy", my work is done. :p
 
Highflight said:
One cute trick for an RV'er who's also in the plastics business might be to pull a mold from the inside of an RV canopy (that's step #1).
Step #2 would be to then form plexi formed panels in various UV absorbing tints that would cover a portion of the top of the canopy.
Step #3 is to use one of the magical adhesives that would allow a retainer to be bonded onto the inside at all four corners of where the new panel would attach in place.

If the the attachments were a "clip on" type, the user could take the panel off at any time, and the only obstruction left would be the very small attachment corner pieces.

Since I'm just the "idea guy", my work is done. :p
Click to expand...
Good work!
I'm anxiously awaiting a practical guy to pick this up and run with it.. I want one.
 
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