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Expanding canopy - interference with window

iamtheari

Well Known Member
I'm halfway through my phase 1 testing and I've run into a frustrating issue. The lower aft edges of the canopy plexiglass interfere with the lower forward edges of the window plexiglass when I close the canopy. My best guess is that I built the canopy in my basement and the ambient temperature outside has been 20 degrees warmer than my basement. Has anyone else run into this? Is there a better solution than shaving back the edge of the canopy plexiglass to eliminate the interference?
 
Not sure what the coefficient of expansion is, but it is significant for many plastics. I left about a small wire tie’s worth of clearance between the canopy and window and have not seen this occur. Of course, I am farther south, so my temperatures don’t vary quite as much. You need to address it, because any side-loading may result in cracks forming at the screws. :eek:
 
Same issue

I did the initial fitting in a temp controlled basement. After getting the fuse on wheels in the garage, I added the canopy back..and no closing. I had to file back quite a bit. I targeted for .030 gap and everything works fine now 15 hours into the phase one.
 
Canopy

I had the issue 2 weeks ago. Put the canopy on and they hit . Just grab your sanding block and start removing material. I think the required gap is 1/16”
 
I'm glad I'm not alone! I threw my small wood plane, cabinet scraper, file, sanding sponges, and feeler gauges in the car for my next trip to the plane. Thanks for the PIREPs.
 
On really hot days, particularly with the canopy closed for a while causing a very elevated interior temp, the expansion of the canopy can be quite significant.
To account for those occasional very hot days, I work towards a gap of about 1/16".
 
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