RV-8 in cold weather

Launched the 8 today and was immediately COLD, air was coming in around the canopy big time. Full cabin heat did not have much affect except after landing, the cabin warmed a bit. Without doubt the canopy needs sealing.

What have some of you done to cut down the cold air breeze in flight?

I've been studying this topic as well recently. It's a seasonal favorite in the archives.

From what I can tell on mine, the air is almost all coming in from the rear center where there is apparently high pressure air that wants to enter. The sides are sucking out as near as I can tell. I have not yet tackled the project to solve it. I'm thinking some type of weatherstripping under the rear skirt that will close down the gap in the rear but still allow it to slide into place.

Dave Buntin made an awesome seal for his canopy. There is a write up in the archives here somewhere. I can tell you from personal experience that it seals up TIGHT! Very cool system and cheap. Looks very nice too.

I stuck on some of that self adhesive foam weather stripping from Home Depot. I put a strip on the canopy skirt where it contacts the fuselage. Works like a charm for me.

I took the fuzzy side of Velcro and attached it along the inside of the canopy skirt. This has taken care of any draft for me. YMMV.

I found Dave Buntin's page on what he did, have not looked at it in detail but here it is.

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=75144&highlight=canopy

Here's a few shots of how I did mine...

"Floor" in rear of canopy...



Fuzzy velcro under skirt... (no picture)

Weatherstrip D extrusion across where canopy rail stops... Got it from a truck canopy manufacturer...



There was still a cold blast hitting my wife in the back of the neck (coming from where the canopy rail descends) so I added a piece of ~ 1 1/2 square self stick foam from a RV Trailer dealer...

No more draft, at least the complaints have stopped... You can just see it in front of the D section in the photo below...

Cold air in the cockpit

I did research on this very issue before making my canopy. I read that sliders have lots of air problems and the tip over canopies are much easier to seal up. So I made a tip over canopy and I do not have any problems with air leaking in and I don't have any weather seal between the canopy and the fuselage.
Sliders look cool and they are very coooooool in the winter!