~The Canopy~
This part of the canopy frame took many ours of drilling, trimming, etc to match the height and width of the fuselage...This will support the rear half of the canopy...The rest of the frame will be here with the finish kit.
Here are the two halfs that get joined together by a metal strap
Here is what it looks like when it is complete.
Here I start work on the rest of the canopy frame. This is the portion that bonds to the plexiglass, gives the canopy it's movement capabilities. These images show the front and rear halves being joined together, and where the pivot arm comes through the subpanel. The picture on the right shows the bearing block in place, which will have a pin through it and the canopy frame hole that is in the middle picture..
Joining the two sides together.
Those clamps are cleco clamps that I found to be a necessity for the project. Get about half a dozen small and big ones.
Here
the canopy frame is stiffened with fiberglass. I cut 2" glass tape to form with
the channel, and then cut floral foam to sandwich in there. I am told it really
stiffens the frame. Have I mentioned how I
fiberglass?
Then Superfill is applied to the top layer of fiberglass. This forms a sandable surface for painting.
And, after many, many, many, many hours of sanding, filling, priming, sanding again, filing, priming, etc,etc,etc, you have a smooth, stiff, pretty canopy frame.....Was it worth it? Right now, when I write this, no it was not. But I am sure I will get over it when it's flying and looks great with the canopy propped open! I do not wish this job on anyone. Now it is time for the actual plexi cutting...I hear that is a piece of cake compared to this crap. Remember, friends don't let friends build glass airplanes.
Ok, here goes....the dreadful canopy....oh, please don't make me cut that $900 piece of plastic. I read the directions, you want me to do what? Cut it in half?????
Here is the initial fit after trimming the flanges off and trimming back the front. Not bad, for a first time fit...I thought, well this isn't so bad, how much more work could there be?
This is the part that really stressed me out...I had to cut the rear window off. This part took alot of measuring and clamping...have spring clamps ready!
I could not have imagined building this thing without the Internet, and without clever builders like Sam Buchanan. He came up with this incredibly simple (why didn't I think of that) thing to hold the canopy down while fitting. After I remembered it, it must have saved me at least a couple of hours of work. If you don't fix the front down, when you push or drill anywhere else, it will pucker and not make for a very favorable job of blending with fiberglass later. Thanks, Sam!
It works! This really helped motivate me to realize that this thing is taking shape. There still is quite a bit of work yet to do. Riveting, painting and fiberglassing the leading edge, and installing the rear window.
Ok...I won't show you the reason why this is my second canopy. Just be sure you get Wil Cresinger's canopy notes when you construct yours. There is a hole that should NOT be drilled. It was 100 degrees in my shop, I used plexiglass bits, etc, etc, and it still cracked. Here goes canopy number two...more pictures to come..I can't cut it right now, it is too cold outside.