foreward canopy skin

i'm try to find the drawing for the foreward canopy skin. i don't see anything in the drawings for it or even the part number for it. also i have yet to find aything in the finish kit that will fit this spot..
thanks for any help you can give,
dennis

update
never mind..talked to vans either it got left out of the kit or more likely i threw it out in the cardboard packing..duh

Ahh yes, you are expected to fabricate this in either fiberglass or aluminum. There's an RVator acticle on it (check 18year of RVator). I dont mind glass. I did the entire canopy skirt as one hand-layup all the way around. We'll see if 40hrs of filling/sanding where worth it once I prime it in a couple days.

Some shiver just thinking about glass and make this part in aluminum. The RVator article covers this.

-Bruce

forget that... I didn't read the whole thing... I thought you where talking about the forward canopy/skin fairing.

Foreward Canopy Skin

I am suffering through the same problem with the foreward skin. There are no drawings and Van's is no help on this one. I called and zero. I tried several different methods consuming a piece of aluminum each time. I wasted the one that was sent with the finishing kit and then one or two made from scrap. This piece when finished has no straight lines. There must a fit firm against the instrument panel while conforming to the square aluminum bow in front if there is to be no unwanted air coming in from that direction. Therefore it must be pulled down tight against the instrument panel flange when the canopy latch is in place. So I visited my local sign company who has white plastic sheeting made of ABS plastic about the same thickness as the aluminum sheeting. I then wrestled with the front square tubing bow until it conformed to the panel shape. It needs to be as exact as you can make it. Lots of luck with that. The secret is bending the front end of the horizontal railing up until there is enough bow to fit the instrument panel.( The book says 5/8" but be creative.). I cut the plastic sheet to fit bow knowing that the final pull by the canopy latch was needed to force the sheet against the flange on the front of the instrument panel. The plastic can be cut to shape and modeling solvent used to glue pieces on it until it conforms to the needed shape. Keep cuting the rear edge of the sheeting and notching it out until it fits against the square aluminum support for the round tubing. Lay this model made of the plastic sheeting on the piece of aluminum sheeting and cut it slightly oversized. Uf you ware working with the piece supplied by Van don't cut anything off of it without triple checking. It has no excess. With the 3/16" spacers in place beneath the canopy rail on the pilot entry side, fit the aluminum sheet in place clamp firmly in place at along the vertical bracing where the rear skin will butt up to it. Be sure the sheeting is up snug against the canopy bow and begin at the top of the bow drilling #40 holes in the sheet and bow. Start far enough outside the area where the sheet slips between the square bow and the round tubing so a cleco can be used to hold it in place. Test the fit between the panel and the sheet as you drill the holes in the bow by pulling the canopy frame firm against the instrument panel. Work your way down the panel. My repeated problem was the tendency of the sheet to pucker at the center point of the square bow and not fit firmly to the panel flange. I finally made it fit.

How having said all of that, I may have made it more difficult that it really is and others probably had no problem and have better instructions. At least this is more than I got before I started the process. Others who have suffered through this fitting should have some input.

Now, on with cutting and trimming and drilling the canopy. Wish me luck. Of I forgot, the devilish rear canopy skin. Van says they sell more of those pieces on reorder than any other. I am going to try and break the trend.

Bob Mears.

I haven't gotten that far yet, but in one of the first chapters of the builders manual there's the list of all the individual parts, and the drawings they're found on. If it's not there...nevermind

Canopy parts

The parts for the canopy are clustered together in the parts list. I think they are:

C-403 SKIN - FWD $21.22
C-404-L CANOPY SKIN, LEFT $40.29
C-404-R CANOPY SKIN, RIGHT $40.29

Hope that helps.

With the dissproportionate shipping costs of odd parts to the UK I wonder if it is worth just ordering a spare of each with the finish kit? (That would mean I might do it right first time!)

Front Canopy Skin

Steve Sampson said:

The parts for the canopy are clustered together in the parts list. I think they are:

C-403 SKIN - FWD $21.22
C-404-L CANOPY SKIN, LEFT $40.29
C-404-R CANOPY SKIN, RIGHT $40.29

Hope that helps.

With the dissproportionate shipping costs of odd parts to the UK I wonder if it is worth just ordering a spare of each with the finish kit? (That would mean I might do it right first time!)

Click to expand...

You can order a 12" by 40" piece of of the aluminum sheeting (.032) from Van for less than the cost of C -403. C-403 has a slight arc built into it but that is not a problem since you can do that yourself.

Bob Mears