I am not done with the canopy yet, so it's possible that this will go away as I continue, but in case it doesn't I want to start thinking about solutions. I have riveted teh canopy side skins into place. I have loosely installed the hardware in the canopy. I have riveted the wear strips into place. I have not tightened the canopy screws/nuts or installed the seals or the alignment pins. I have not installed the canopy clips or (obviously) done the fiberglass fairing lay-up.
When I open the canopy by lifting on the exterior handles, the opposite side canopy pin block (C-01424, the black plastic piece that bolts to the aft of the canopy frame and guides the latch pins into place) seems to bind on the roll bar. I need to get a friend to watch it closely since I can't see everything across the plane. But it seems that that's what is binding. And it happens on both sides. If I lift on the left side, the right side catches, and vice versa.
If I push the canopy frame inboard slightly as I lift, the canopy opens. So it appears that what is happening is a slight, temporary twist when I lift on the canopy rail, which causes the opposite aft bottom corner of the canopy frame to push aft just enough to catch on the rivets or doublers where the latch pins come through the roll bar.
Any ideas on solutions, before I just start grinding away at the bottom protruding part of the canopy pin blocks?
When I open the canopy by lifting on the exterior handles, the opposite side canopy pin block (C-01424, the black plastic piece that bolts to the aft of the canopy frame and guides the latch pins into place) seems to bind on the roll bar. I need to get a friend to watch it closely since I can't see everything across the plane. But it seems that that's what is binding. And it happens on both sides. If I lift on the left side, the right side catches, and vice versa.
If I push the canopy frame inboard slightly as I lift, the canopy opens. So it appears that what is happening is a slight, temporary twist when I lift on the canopy rail, which causes the opposite aft bottom corner of the canopy frame to push aft just enough to catch on the rivets or doublers where the latch pins come through the roll bar.
Any ideas on solutions, before I just start grinding away at the bottom protruding part of the canopy pin blocks?