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Fiberglass needs a little help..

Tram

Well Known Member
Passenger side of the canopy needs a little help. Couple years ago the canopy slammed and popped some filler out of a rivet.

Noticed last night the fiberglass surround at the rear of the canopy has taken it on the chin lately.

How would you fibgerglass experts go about repairing this?

https://imgur.com/gallery/X92ut
 
I would use Dan's method, but with two bid on either face. I'm sure you know this, but sand off the paint until you reach fiberglass. Peel-ply is your friend.
 
In my opinion repairing with a flox mixture on this edge would not be my choice of repair. This edge was damaged by being hit numerous times and flox will not stand up to this abuse anywhere near as if it was repaired with glass. I would sand down the area to be built back up, probably from the inside and like in Dan's example apply a smooth material as a backing mold to the exterior and build up the glass. I would tend to have a longer scarf , removing some good original glass to make a longer bonding point for the new lay up to bond to, due to the high wear area we are talking about.
 
Personally, I would make the targa strip out of aluminum. None of the issues associated with the glass. Mine has bent at one corner from the top smacking down in the wind. I was able to bend it back out. It would have shattered fiberglass. In this case I think it's a better choice for the application.
 
In my opinion repairing with a flox mixture on this edge would not be my choice of repair. This edge was damaged by being hit numerous times and flox will not stand up to this abuse anywhere near as if it was repaired with glass. I would sand down the area to be built back up, probably from the inside and like in Dan's example apply a smooth material as a backing mold to the exterior and build up the glass. I would tend to have a longer scarf , removing some good original glass to make a longer bonding point for the new lay up to bond to, due to the high wear area we are talking about.

I'll have to consider this.

Personally, I would make the targa strip out of aluminum. None of the issues associated with the glass. Mine has bent at one corner from the top smacking down in the wind. I was able to bend it back out. It would have shattered fiberglass. In this case I think it's a better choice for the application.

That sounds like a good ide, but I didn't build this plane, so gathering up the builder tools that this would require may not prove cost effective.
 
All it requires is a strip of aluminum and fasteners. Anything from Avex rivets to low profile Allen head bolts. Drill holes and bolt/rivet it on. No special tools required.
 
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