Sikaflex and canopy skirt

So I cut the lip off of Vans skirts and did a layup from the skirt to Todds canopy due to very poor fit. I used tape and release agent and must say the skirt fits wonderfully! But...today I read in an old post in here that sikaflex needs an eighth inch minimum thickness.

My fit is snug and pretty...so any thoughts on how to bond it on now? My canopy is sika'd on with three small cleko locating holes. I would rather not drill the canopy at this point to attach if I can avoid it. I had a few thoughts on my options:

• Sika it anyway, will be thin at the meeting of the skirt and canopy but run a filet at the bottom edge of the canopy onto the skirt?
  
• Rough up skirt and canopy and use west systems as a bonding agent?
  
• Grind off skirt edge and start over with tape buildup for sika joint (cry myself to sleep for a week)?
  
• Drill and rivet....

Any thoughts from the been there done that crowd would be greatly appreciated.

I had some rubber membrane stuff like from bike inner tubes (but 1/8" thick). I made a bunch of small squares about the size of the pinkie finger nail and spaced them every four to five inches where the skirt met the plexi (down 1/2" from the top edge of the fiberglass skirt). This worked out very well. You can space them so there is not a wave in the skirt. If there is a wave when finished, just micro balloon to get it smooth. Don't know if that would work given the situation? I know you'll have to fill the gap at the halves in the rear skirt since it would be moved out more by the 1/8" gap all around.

I would honor the 1/8" gap if it were me, however you figure it out. That's just one opinion though.

?Sika it anyway, will be thin at the meeting of the skirt and canopy but run a filet at the bottom edge of the canopy onto the skirt?

Click to expand...

I went this route on my 9A. My entire skirt was made with glass/carbon instead of the supplied aluminum pieces. It has been on for 3 years and 230 hours of flying without any problems. The canopy to frame sika has the required 1/8" spacing.

I used spacers between the plexi and the steel, but I sika'd the fiberglass skirts tight to the plexi.
It's been quite a few years of hot & cold inside a steel hangar, but I haven't flown yet.

I have my fiberglass canopy skirt sikaflexed to my canopy. It has worked just fine for 504.3 hours. I think the guarantee is good for 505 hours!

The reason for the "minimum" thickness called for by SikaFlex is to account for the diffence in thermal expansion rates between the frame of a window and the glass or plexi that goes in that frame. As long as the expansion and contraction between the two surfaces can be accomadated by the thickness of the SikaFlex, you'll have no problems.

If I read correctly the canopy is Sika'd to the frame already and you are only talking about the skirt. If that is correct, then do not worry about min thickness. Sika it on and then put a few pop rivets thru the skirt to the frame like the manual suggests attaching anyway. Make the bead at he canopy/skirt joint whatever it needs to be to look good.

Hi Bill

As added security for the canopy I took the view of bonding the skirt to the canopy, as the skirt is riveted to the frame that canopy is going no where. Here is my log entry and the epoxy I used Regarding thermal expansion the canopy material is not that far off of epoxy - compared to steel - plus you have already sika'd the canopy to the frame.

Horses for courses - I personally think either method is good. Only 64 hours so far so .......