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Supertracks: extended canopy tracks for easier baggage access

vfrazier

Well Known Member
Blake and I have come up with a totally new product to make life easier for pilots with RV-6, 6A, 7, 7A, 9, and 9A SLIDING canopies. Our new Supertracks allow you to easily roll your canopy back an additional 9" (or more) to make accessing your baggage compartment a snap. And there's nothing to disconnect, or futz with, just the normal fore and aft canopy motion that you're accustomed to already.

Rather than try to describe it, here's a link to the product description:
Supertracks by Flyboy Accessories

We have installed this system on an RV-7A and and RV-6A. The installation is relatively easy and should be readily accomplished in an afternoon.

Right now, Blake has an introductory special price of $259 for the first 25 customers. Product shipments are expected to begin in about 2 weeks. The product is ready, we're just waiting on a few of the small parts to arrive.

Direct product questions to [email protected]

No PMs please. Too hard to keep up with!
 
Bloody brilliant. Well done. Wish I were still building a slider, I'd put them on it.
 
Brilliant! I like the dual-purpose of making them hand grips, too!

Serendipity. We immediately realized during the prototype installation that we were all grabbing the new part and using it as a natural place to grip when entering/exiting.

We actually decided to strengthen the part, just a wee bit, where needed, to accommodate using it as a grip.
 
Photos....

1401-3T.jpg


1401-4T.jpg
 
Order placed!

Just ordered a set. Won't be ready to install for a while, but taking advantage of the introductory price.:)
 
Looks great! A few questions.

Vince,
You have solved a problem I have faced many times with the cooler! I need a few more pictures and explanation before committing! How do the tracks attach at the end of the rail? Do i need to cut off the end of my current track before the delrin pin block? One last question, how do the wheels maintain their distance apart as the fuselage curves back? Is this what the wheel spacers accomplish?
Thanks!
 
It looks like a great idea and well made. I just have trouble buyg a product from a dude who paints his plane to look like a cow.:p
 
I need everybody to stop coming up with cool mods 10 days before my DAR inspection. I need to focus! Will be ordering soon though, I'm sure...

Chris
 
NOW YOU COME UP WITH THIS!!!! I would have been your first customer but because we didn't have this mod, we decided to build an RV14.
 
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Vince,
You have solved a problem I have faced many times with the cooler! I need a few more pictures and explanation before committing! How do the tracks attach at the end of the rail? Do i need to cut off the end of my current track before the delrin pin block? One last question, how do the wheels maintain their distance apart as the fuselage curves back? Is this what the wheel spacers accomplish?
Thanks!

Sorry, I don't have photos here. Blake is going to get a few better photos for the web site. There's just not enough hours in the day sometimes!

Try this URL:
https://www.facebook.com/vince.frazier/videos/10101243383541683/

Screws and a small aluminum strap attach the ends of our tracks to one of the bulkhead flanges in the back of the baggage compartment. Very easy. Very simple.

No. You do not cut off the end of your existing track, but you do cut a "window" in the top surface of that track. Again, very simple to do with a Dremel tool cut off wheel.

The old and new tracks are parallel, aside from the S-curve. There is no affect from the fuselage curvature.
 
It looks like a great idea and well made. I just have trouble buyg a product from a dude who paints his plane to look like a cow.:p

Hooo ha ha ha.... The cowbird was a product of builder Wayne Ray's farm background. You can't beat it for the attention it gets on the ramp.

Interestingly, I can't install the Supertracks on my plane, which has a flopper!

The idea came from our work with the Rocket guys. The F1 Rocket slider uses parallel tracks, but doesn't have the S-curve.
 
Hi Vince,
Can I use these on my Rocket? If yes, I take a set and maybe pick it up at Sun'n Fun?
Regards from Austria,
 
I'm bonding my canopy to the roll bar now so this is great timing. I can see it making entry to a seat a bit easier as well.
 
I have been thinking about this same type of thing ever since I first mounted the canopy, now I don't have to work out the specifics. My solution was much more complicated, I like yours. Great job!
 
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Can you tell me if it will work with the almost 14 mod? the cross bar is narrower? Thanks.
 
Excellent Timing!

Vince, thanks for making Super Tracks available to the side-by-side RV owners. This will make access to my baggage compartment much easier.

As soon as the weather warms up, I will install Alan Nimmo's Almost-A-14 seat back modification in my RV-9A. Now I can install both mods at the same time.

Yes, I've already ordered my Super Tracks.
 
Can you tell me if it will work with the almost 14 mod? the cross bar is narrower? Thanks.

Bret,

Just gotta say that Allan's products are the bomb. :)

I looked at his site to check out the "almost 14" mod. I don't see anything that would prevent installation of our Supertracks. The middle fastener might need to be moved, or an adapter fabbed up, but that should be easy enough.

How close are you to Evansville, Indiana? If we can arrange the details, we might be able to install them for you just to get the data point for the "almost 14" mod.
 
It looks like a great idea and well made. I just have trouble buyg a product from a dude who paints his plane to look like a cow.:p
Vince supports most all animals and pets; there was no problem with Vince's Supertrack and my Sky Terrier :D
canopy.jpg

Just a data point showing how I extended my canopy track.
track.jpg

My installation took two days but Sky Terrier was the first test mule / 'er Scotty. A standard installation should easily be completed in a day.
 
Bret,

Just gotta say that Allan's products are the bomb. :)

I looked at his site to check out the "almost 14" mod. I don't see anything that would prevent installation of our Supertracks. The middle fastener might need to be moved, or an adapter fabbed up, but that should be easy enough.

How close are you to Evansville, Indiana? If we can arrange the details, we might be able to install them for you just to get the data point for the "almost 14" mod.

Well, the fuse is built with the 14 mod installed and sitting in my garage at the moment.....just a slippery slope off of lake Tahoe area.
 
Almost a 14 mod

The "Almost a 14" mod shouldn't be a problem if my estimates are correct on the position of the extension. It looks like the slider extension is bolted at the aft end of the UHMW block which should be accessible. In the picture below I put a dot at about the location I think the track extension bolt would go based on the installation video.

2014-08-08%2B16.14.24.jpg
 
Darin - what kind of spring-loaded latch do you have there on the aft end of your track?
 
Darin - what kind of spring-loaded latch do you have there on the aft end of your track?

That is one of the tip up mod latches. I pull it out and it allows my slider to move back far enough that I can lift the back up off of the top track. I had to modify my top track to allow this and because of this latch my slider does not go back completely. I already ordered one of these extensions...ingenious!
 
Someone asked "How much weight is added by adding the Supertracks and related goodies?"

I just weighed a pile of the parts and came up with about 20 ounces.

The new tracks could be lightened somewhat by drilling them full of lightening holes if you're inclined to do so. We decided not to do that since the Van's tracks aren't full of holes and it might look funny.
 
Wow

Can't believe someone hasn't made this earlier. We do a lot of traveling with out RV-7A and it is always a hassle to get stuff in the back. That is the one thing I liked about a tip up but I always preferred a slider. Good job. I just ordered mine.
 
Someone asked "How much weight is added by adding the Supertracks and related goodies?"

I just weighed a pile of the parts and came up with about 20 ounces.

The new tracks could be lightened somewhat by drilling them full of lightening holes if you're inclined to do so. We decided not to do that since the Van's tracks aren't full of holes and it might look funny.

But if you drill it full of holes, or better yet do some fancy CNC machining on it to remove excess material, and then give it a bright purple anodizing job, and shine it up real nice, it will add 3 knots to the airspeed and you can sell it for double the price.
 
Supertracks

Vince, thanks again for talking with me this morning. I just emailed you as well. 43IN is only 508 miles from KVKX! I hear IN is beautiful in the spring....

Robert
RV7
 
Rails

Is there any modifacation needed to the back center carrier rail, will it need to be extended, or do these just let it go to the end of that ? would love to see a couple of more detailed pics of it installed both inside and out, to see how it would fit in our 9A
 
Is there any modification needed to the back center carrier rail, will it need to be extended, or do these just let it go to the end of that ? would love to see a couple of more detailed pics of it installed both inside and out, to see how it would fit in our 9A

Tod,

Please take a look at Steve's post above, the red plane, SkyTerrier. It has a great shot of the spine track extension. It's about 10"' long.

The videos show the basic installation.

Detailed photos... man, I wish I had some good ones! Sorry! We're working on it though...
 
Thanks for the great response!

Blake here (long time listener, first time caller). Just wanted to say thanks to all for the incredible response we've had on this product!

We have informed our machinist that he's got his work cut out for him. We unloaded material for the tracks into the machinist shop today. If all goes well, we're hoping to have the first Supertracks shipping out around the end of next week, and will work as fast as we can to fill the orders in the order they came in.

Since you all have been so good to us, we're extending the promotional introductory price for another week. It will be available through April 5th at $259.

Again, thanks so much!
 
....the promotional introductory price for another week. It will be available through April 5th at $259.

Again, thanks so much!

Last chance for the introductory price!

Shipping update: As stated earlier, we're waiting on a few cut parts to arrive. Once they are here, we'll start packing the whole shebang for shipping. According to our vendor(s) we should have product going out the door by late this week or early next week. Thanks for your patience with the brief delays.
 
Vince & Blake,
I just wanted to say I wish you would've thought of this 7 yrs ago when I bought the plane. Being vertically challenged, my biggest complaint was not being able to reach into the baggage area without getting on the wing. Even then I had to bend over and stick my head under the canopy to reach over the seatbacks.
Now I can reach anywhere into the baggage area from on the ground. My wife's "make-up bag" isn't as big as the one you had in the video:), but our overnighters go in and out super easy now.

Great Idea. Thanks
 
Units are shipping as fast as we get the S-tracks from the machinist. We have everything in stock now except the complicated, precision CNC machined S-tracks. Just to be clear, we ARE shipping kits and will get to everyone in order as fast as possible.

Blake is sending email updates to all who have ordered. Check your personal email folder for those details.

Thanks for your interest and your patience while we work through the orders.
 
Why the S-bend?

I'm curious and unfamiliar, since I have an -8. Why is it necessary to have the track make the S-bend? Would it not be possible to simply run the original rails all the way to the back of the cockpit opening? Something must be in the way that it is necessary to rise up over it?
 
Steve,

There are two nylon blocks just behind the existing tracks that engage the aft canopy pins when the canopy is fully closed. It would be impractical to move them. You'd have to figure out a whole new aft pin strategy.

Even if you did move them, the narrowing of the rear fuselage would prevent a simple extension of the existing tracks unless you were willing to have the tracks protruding on the outside of the fuselage.

If the tracks protruded, then it would be difficult to seal the canopy, and on and on....

One change always begets 10 more.....
 
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