Slider Canopy Fit

Hi,

I am fitting the canopy to the canopy frame and so far the canopy does not follow the curve of the frame down the central fwd aft bar of the frame. This is the piece of the frame that goes from the latch, back to the slide block rail area.

The canopy is making good contact with the frame for the initial curve from the latch, over the hump then a gap develops between the 2 until close to the back of the frame. It takes a fair amount of pressure to get it down and in contact with the frame.
Is this gap an issue?
Should I build up a spacer?
Any other ideas?
I plan on using sikaflex.
Thanks.

I have an 7A with slider.
I understand your frustration and concern. I think it took me a month to get the proper fit, maybe not that long but it seemed like it. Have you fit the frame to the fuselage? That is the first fit issue, is to make sure it is bent correctly.
Then the bubble to the frame. It should come close, but mine did not fit perfectly. I used rivets to hold mine to the frame however. So, maybe you can hold the plastic with POP rivets and after the silkaflex has set you can drill out the rivets?
Please let this post only be a thought as I have not used the glue, I am only thinking out loud.
Best to you, Hang in there,
Dave

move the slider plexi back and forth along the frame spine to get the closest fit, if a gap remains, shim to eliminate the gap (plastic washers work) . Avoid putting any stress on the plexi by pulling it down on the frame.
Bill Brooks
Ottawa, Canada
RV-6A finishing

Thanks for the replies. Yes after a lot of tweaking the frame now fits the fuselage reasonably well.
I am reluctant to pull it down and have it for ever under pressure at that spot. A lot of pressure is required

JRV said:

Thanks for the replies. Yes after a lot of tweaking the frame now fits the fuselage reasonably well.
I am reluctant to pull it down and have it for ever under pressure at that spot. A lot of pressure is required

Click to expand...

Have you drilled any part of the bubble yet? If so, you're stuck with shims. If not, as others have said, slide the bubble fore and aft until you find the best fit, then shim if necessary. My canopy probably has 15 shims betweenit and the frame. Some as small as 0.032 aluminum and some a big as 1/8".

Don't forget to clamp the sides down to the frame during GE fitting process. This changes the profile of the center significantly.

If the latch tube is getting in the way, you can cut it down to make it flush. I did not need to do that. Moving it back and forth solved the fit problem for me.

jay.pearlman said:

If the latch tube is getting in the way, you can cut it down to make it flush. I did not need to do that. Moving it back and forth solved the fit problem for me.

Click to expand...

don't cut it!

after you cut the front windshield from the rear portion (the big cut) it will flex a bit differently, after you trim the sides up it will act even more strange

it ends up being about 1/2-3/4" of gap between the middle of the bow and the latch handle, fill this with sika, then place a weight on it (and I placed a weight underneath it) this will compress it about half way ending up with a 1/4-1/2" gap that is filled with solid sikaflex

checkout my pictures here:

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=84113&highlight=ruined+canopy&page=2

feel free to email me questions

Once you've found the best fit and drilled the hole, radius the inside edge of the hole to clear the weld fillet around the latch tube. The hole diameter Van's calls out is a tight fit. I also make the hole .06 bigger in diameter for the same reason you oversize the rivet clearance holes.

You also must use 20 or more clamps to seriously hold the plexi against the front and rear bows before marking for cut lines.

John Siebold

Thanks for the help everyone.
Enlarging the latch hole helped, and shims should do the rest.