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Possible bent canopy pivot attach

C

cropdusterdave

Well Known Member
Hey folks….I asked this question on the Facebook group as well but thought if I’d get any further input on here. Long story short….was working on my tip up -7 today and the canopy struts must be getting weak because the canopy slammed down from the up position. All looked OK until I went to close. Now the front of the canopy around the fairing is raised maybe 1/4” and there is a noticeable gap. A little more on the left side than the right. The canopy is bonded and everything is still tight to the frame and no bends or cracks anywhere. It was suggested that the pivot attach points on the WD-716 got tweaked down a little causing the rise in the front. Makes the most sense to me. Is this plausible? If so….what would be the best route to a repair? I’m a bit gutted about it.
 
I think you need to look a bit closer the areas circled in blue in the attached drawing of the WD-716.

Screenshot 2024-04-29 at 6.33.50 PM.png
 
CDD
Im going to make a suggestion to you. My 02 cents worth.
Instead of unzipping the top skin and the potential damage to the longerons which could be unrecoverable might I suggest you go in from the front.

Pull the panel, the sub panel is in sections and you could get drill just the rivets to remove the sandwiched sub panel out.
Reach forward from there to drill the firewall rivets and then just unstich the skin rivets on top of the rib.

There is one tricky rivet in the deep corner of the sub panel that goes through the longeron. Maybe dremel the shop head and punch up and out.

Yes someone will have to be upside down under the panel but the chance of damage to the longerons would be negated.

There are a lot of difficult rivets to set near those flanges so I would be prepared with some cherry max for the rebuild.

Good luck.
 
cropdusterdave said:
And you’d be right. 745 rib got wanged around and twisted. Looks like I get to un-zip the forward skin. So much fun.
Click to expand...
Dang...that's a shame. The post above is probably the best way to go, though...best of luck, and let us know how it turns out.

And this should be a real lesson to others to not ignore the struts getting weak over time, AND to figure out some way to lock at least one in the up position. I use a piece of Parflex tubing slit lengthwise, others have used various hoses, mechanical devices, etc. I made it a habit to use the strut lock tube *every time the canopy is open*, even in the hangar, after it came down on its own once (fortunately with no damage). Others have reported here that the upper handle can rotate and effectively lock the canopy, as well, requiring clever solutions to get it open again.

Good luck...sorry this happened to you, but it can be fixed.
 
AlphaCharlieBravo said:
CDD
Im going to make a suggestion to you. My 02 cents worth.
Instead of unzipping the top skin and the potential damage to the longerons which could be unrecoverable might I suggest you go in from the front.

Pull the panel, the sub panel is in sections and you could get drill just the rivets to remove the sandwiched sub panel out.
Reach forward from there to drill the firewall rivets and then just unstich the skin rivets on top of the rib.

There is one tricky rivet in the deep corner of the sub panel that goes through the longeron. Maybe dremel the shop head and punch up and out.

Yes someone will have to be upside down under the panel but the chance of damage to the longerons would be negated.

There are a lot of difficult rivets to set near those flanges so I would be prepared with some cherry max for the rebuild.

Good luck.
Click to expand...
Appreciate the suggestion and I’ll take you up on it. No need to booger up the longeron. That would make a bad day much worse!
 
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