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Canopy lock question

Tankerpilot75

Well Known Member
As I said on an earlier thread I am updating my interior and looking at the canopy latch system. It?s always been a little tough to latch but works a little better (on the inside) since I adjusted things a little. However, locking it from the outside is almost impossible.

After lowering the canopy (it appears to be fitting the aircraft frame okay) I try to move the outside lever to the closed and lock position. The lever from the outside doesn?t want to slide into the horizontal slot. You have to move the lever up and down until you find the horizontal slot which frankly is difficult to do on the outside. It is a little loose (moves up and down freely) but if I tighten the nut going through it and the bracket it fits into - things bind up.

Have other people experienced this issue and if so have you come up with a good solution. I want to easily lock things up when I?m at a strange field or at OSH experimental parking for a week. Fighting to get the canopy lever through the slot from the outside is not fun - it?s just frustrating!
 
I see that you are the second owner and probably not the builder. I assume you are referring to a tip up canopy latch. I never had any issues with the standard Van's design on mine and I drilled a hole in it to put a padlock in the outside of the latch to prevent unauthorized entry. Some builders used cylinder locks to lock the levers. I'm wondering if the builder either made the latch wrong or reinvented one. Post some pictures illustrating what issues you have and that other builders could suggest remedies.

Roberta
 
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