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Need a quick sanity check- slider canopy

Desert Rat

Well Known Member
Hey guys- I'm positioning the canopy frame in the canopy in preparation for drilling the hole for the latch handle.

As those of you who have gone before know, the plans are somewhat vague in tis area and just say something to the effect of "position for best fit." I also understand that ultimately the plexi needs to overhang teh aft bows by about 0.5-1.0"

I think I'm there, but just want to ask for some confirmation before I drill the hole.

I'm ending up with the center aft bow/spine joint about 2" forward of the forward edge of the canopy aft mold line. Does this sound about right?

I just have paranoid visions of getting the windscreen ridiculously short if I get this wrong and I have room to slide the frame a little further aft if need be.

Thanks!
 

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How I’ve done them. I match the plexi curve to the frame bow. This determines where the hole goes. But I’m old school & prefer to rivet the plexi to the bow. Reason for this is I want the two shapes to be as close as possible when riveting (old school I know) & not cause tension in the plexi & the big lateral crack that comes with a big temperature swing later.
As for the overhang, the minimum or close to it makes the skirt fitment easier.
 
Thanks Ralph- I've got the canopy positioned where the curve of the plastic closely matches the curvature of the frame spine, but I can only eyeball the front and back bows at this point due to the frame not sitting all the way down until I commit and drill the hole. Looks close, but like I said, I'm just hoping for confirmation that what I've got laterally is reasonable before I commit.
 
I take a piece of cardboard & trace frame bow shape, mark where the latch tube is on it. Cut the cardboard to shape & lay it in the plexi. Very important- use duct tape to bring the plexi sides together to the width of the fuselage, the top plexi curve changes shape if you leave the sides flop out.
 
I would not final trim the aft end of the plexi until all other plexiglass cuts are made and the latch hole is done. Trim it to clear the aft top skin, but leave extra.

For the final trimming of the aft plexi you need to cut off enough to eliminate any "ski jump" that would prevent the aft skirts from pressing down on the aft top skin.
 
Canopy

What they ^ said. I also trimmed to remove the ski lift then 1" of plexi past the aft bow. You want the least amount of tension regardless of method of attachment.
 
latch hole

and remember the latch hole is at an angle. so the position it is when it hits the canopy un-drilled will be on the OUTSIDE, not the inside. You need to take that into account for the angle when positioning the drill when you drill the hole. As me how i know.
 
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