Scott McDaniels, the “Possessor of True Knowledge at the Temple of the Sliding Canopy”. and the “Sisters of Perpetual Motion”. a nice Sunday read….Not a builders site, but don’t discount the value of old but still relevant RVator Installation Tips article.
Sliding Canopy Installation - Van's Aircraft Total Performance RV Kit Planes
www.vansaircraft.com
Is roll bar drilled to deck already?I found my error. My roll bar is too far back. Oh boy.
I think you nailed it. Unfortunately I followed the plans which means it looks like my roll bar might be a bit too far forward. This makes my rear canopy brace sit a bit low.Is roll bar drilled to deck already?
It's a bit hard to explain, but the position of the roll bar should be determined by the fit of the slider frame (this is not what the plans say though). It's all inter-related, but essentially the height of the slider hoops at the back need to match to the fuselage so that the skirts fit properly. If the roll bar is too far back then the hoops will be too high and there will be a bad gap between the skirts and the fuselage skins. The T track slopes down at approx 45 degree angle, so if the slider frame moves forward by 1/4" then the hoops will be lower by 1/4" also. So it is important to have the roll bar in the correct position according to the slider frame, rather than according to some measurement.
In my opinion the roll bar and slider frame and tracks should all be clamped in the "correct" position before drilling or cutting anything. There may be a lot of very frustrating bending and tweaking required to get the slider frame right. They are not all made to the same quality and the welding process causes distortion.
I think it should be possible to locate the aft "T" track slightly forward to help compensate, e.g. 1/4" forward will raise the frame by 1/4" at the rear.I think you nailed it. Unfortunately I followed the plans which means it looks like my roll bar might be a bit too far forward. This makes my rear canopy brace sit a bit low.
The roll bar inset was address earlier. I’ve had to move it a few times!I think it should be possible to locate the aft "T" track slightly forward to help compensate, e.g. 1/4" forward will raise the frame by 1/4" at the rear.
(I had the opposite problem and the roll bar was too far back and so I ended up needing to use fiberglass for the aft skirts because the canopy was too high for metal skirts to fit properly behind the baggage compartment.)
Also worth checking is the correct inset of the roll bar at the sides as this will ultimately affect how the side skirts fit along the fuselage sides.