Canopy sanding the fairing.

I have just finished the canopy fairing of my RV 7 doing the epoxy fiberglass fairing on the front.

I seem to have a bit of sanding to do and wondered some things:

1/ Has anyone used powered sanders like my Black and Decker mouse sander?

2/ Did you start off with 80 grit and go up to 220?

3/ Is it necessary to form a block of 4" radius to achieve the final form or could you freehand it with the powered hand sanders.

Oh and yes i have searched the forum, i am looking for recent information, thanks for any sent.

I'll be doing this in the next couple weeks as well. Pictures?

Did you use SikaFlex or go with the plans method for install?

I stuck with the plans for installing the canopy, and used a jar of something from the kitchen to 'try' to shape plasticine before laying packing tape over it as a release agent to prevent the fiberglass sticking to it. I think you'd be hard pressed to get a 4" radius from your glasswork without it already having been laid over something as such.

This was taken to describe what I was doing to overcome the step between the forward deck and canopy frame, but it does kind of illustrate how my glassing turned out.


I haven't sanded mine right down to a feather edge at the forward deck yet, so I still have a 1mm or so step. That is on my to-do list when I can stop enjoying flying it so much. I will be doing it by hand with probably 120-grit and getting finer. I wouldn't want to use any kind of power tool for is I think you'd be likely to damage the aluminium skin.

Drilled the canopy

I drilled the canopy and then i fiberglassed the front of the windscreen.

I did suffer a small crack but it was by mistake and using a power tool to assist in tightening the screws at the back.

Gives it character now

sanding canopy fairing

dave4754 said:

I have just finished the canopy fairing of my RV 7 doing the epoxy fiberglass fairing on the front.

I seem to have a bit of sanding to do and wondered some things:

1/ Has anyone used powered sanders like my Black and Decker mouse sander?

2/ Did you start off with 80 grit and go up to 220?

3/ Is it necessary to form a block of 4" radius to achieve the final form or could you freehand it with the powered hand sanders.

Oh and yes i have searched the forum, i am looking for recent information, thanks for any sent.

Click to expand...

I just finished priming the spot putty yesterday and I must give Bruce Hill credit for the information I got from him, "Thank you, Bruce!!!" My first attempt with the blackened resin delaminated from the plexi, so I ground it off below the W/S level and then "primed" the plexi with the coloured resin and let it cure before laying up the fiberglass. (Tip from a local fiberglass guru)

1. HAND sand only
2. 40 grit, 80, 150, 220.
3. No. It is only used in the very front. What I did for the initial sanding, was just hold half a sheet of 40 grit with a 6" long piece of 4" PVC pipe. It makes it easier if you glue the sand paper on - I didn't bother - and sand the fiberglass, sanding with a partial rotating motion, moving/pushing the "sanding pipe block" from the top of the fiberglass that starts below the windshield down to the aluminum at about 45% angle. Sand only on the down stroke - not coming back toward you. You'll have no control.

From my 30++ years in autobody repair, I've found you often have to sand contours in panels, so this airplane job was a breeze.

To protect the plexi, I used 3M "fine line" masking tape as the edge for the fiberglass, where the finished line is going to be, about 1"up. Then I used some UHMW tape about 1" wide over the top of it; then some masking tape over top that. (That shows me when I'm about to hit the UHMW and allows for aggressive sanding.) The UHMW is very tough. When you're done sanding down to the UHMW, then you peel it off, then sand down to that 'fine line' masking tape - very carefully. Very carefully. Then when you're down to the fine line masking tape and start scratching it up with the 220, you'll know not to go any further.

If you need any more info or help, I can talk almost any time on the phone. Just PM me your phone number.

Cliff, Chase, BC
No hole tip up
Working on wiring

VANs RV14 Video

Check out the VANs supplemental videos on their site. They have a 4part series that helped me. Great demonstration.

Links to the 4 videos on Youtube can be found HERE

My canopy fairing was one of the most time consuming elements of the build. I've documented it here.

I'm pretty sure I went way too anal on it. I did it by hand and to be honest with you, looking back, I liked the feel of of my fingers on the sandpaper on the curve. It felt like I was actually building something rather than assembling.

I pretty much obsessed with building it up enough to hide the "clips" and also with getting it just right where it met the skin.

I used a 4" PVC pipe as my sanding block. And I ended up putting many layers on.

I can show you things I could've done better all over the plane. I can show you screw ups like filing back too much of the skin canopy so that it cleared the top skin (creating an ugly gap).

But the time -- 2 1/2 months -- I put it into that fairing? It ended up giving me the one section of the plane that I can actually point to with pride. I wish I'd built the whole plane that way.

That is to say: Don't take any shortcuts here. This is a piece everyone is going to be looking at.

The Videos are great but so are the great tips from

you folks.

Thanks again, i will be going at it with the 4" PVC pipe as i have one and will post some follow up pics to this pic if it helps others.

Dave