Hi all-
Helping a friend replace the canopy and windshield on his 2005 RV-8 due to unfortunate circumstances. He is not the original builder; the actual bubble on this aircraft was probably manufactured a few years before the airworthiness date.
Fortunately the old frame, roll bar, canopy skirt and even glass windshield surround all survived unbent and unscathed, so we are reusing those pieces. The replacement bubble is a stock canopy, received recently from Van's.
We have the frame installed on the aircraft and have been trimming/fussing/fitting the new bubble to the old frame, roll bar, fuselage etc.
The new bubble fits well enough around the forward fuselage skin and over the roll bar and forward part of the frame. But at the rear, it seems like a completely different shape. The new bubble is far wider than the aft foot or so of the frame; it takes a lot of pressure to force it against the frame, which in turn distorts the canopy so it doesn't fit elsewhere.
Since the rear 2/3 of the original canopy survived, we pop-riveted it to the frame, then dropped the new bubble over the old to compare fit. The old bubble is much more severely tapered than the new one when looking in plan view (top down). And interestingly, when looking in elevation view (from the side) the old plastic is at least 1-1/2" lower over the passengers head, and presumably the pilot's as well (that part was shattered so can only speculate).
So, some questions:
1. Could the old bubble be a Todd's canopy? I found an old thread here that implied that the Todd's shape was lower: http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=32660
2. (more importantly) has the shape of the stock canopy frame changed over the years? I will be calling Van's on Monday to ask about this. Or perhaps, did Todd's or anyone else sell an alternative canopy frame? This one appears to be stock based on construction, but you never know...
3. Is it typical to need a tremendous amount of pressure to force the bubble against the frame, especially at the rear?
Thanks for insights!
Helping a friend replace the canopy and windshield on his 2005 RV-8 due to unfortunate circumstances. He is not the original builder; the actual bubble on this aircraft was probably manufactured a few years before the airworthiness date.
Fortunately the old frame, roll bar, canopy skirt and even glass windshield surround all survived unbent and unscathed, so we are reusing those pieces. The replacement bubble is a stock canopy, received recently from Van's.
We have the frame installed on the aircraft and have been trimming/fussing/fitting the new bubble to the old frame, roll bar, fuselage etc.
The new bubble fits well enough around the forward fuselage skin and over the roll bar and forward part of the frame. But at the rear, it seems like a completely different shape. The new bubble is far wider than the aft foot or so of the frame; it takes a lot of pressure to force it against the frame, which in turn distorts the canopy so it doesn't fit elsewhere.
Since the rear 2/3 of the original canopy survived, we pop-riveted it to the frame, then dropped the new bubble over the old to compare fit. The old bubble is much more severely tapered than the new one when looking in plan view (top down). And interestingly, when looking in elevation view (from the side) the old plastic is at least 1-1/2" lower over the passengers head, and presumably the pilot's as well (that part was shattered so can only speculate).
So, some questions:
1. Could the old bubble be a Todd's canopy? I found an old thread here that implied that the Todd's shape was lower: http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=32660
2. (more importantly) has the shape of the stock canopy frame changed over the years? I will be calling Van's on Monday to ask about this. Or perhaps, did Todd's or anyone else sell an alternative canopy frame? This one appears to be stock based on construction, but you never know...
3. Is it typical to need a tremendous amount of pressure to force the bubble against the frame, especially at the rear?
Thanks for insights!