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RV-7A rebirthing

I'm starting to see why most build logs have an absurd amount of time under the canopy section. Keep fighting the good fight!
 
Latch

Here is the properly bent latch arm:

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Here is the clearance of the frame with respect to the aft deck:

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It finally came together, I need just to finalize the finished latch position.
 
I test fit the side skirts and the back of the canopy is still too wide! I am crying on the inside right now....the skirts are supposed to be up against the side skin I would imagine correct?
 
I test fit the side skirts and the back of the canopy is still too wide! I am crying on the inside right now....the skirts are supposed to be up against the side skin I would imagine correct?

Mmmm... fiberglass/carbon.... makes for a perfect fit...
 
Big guns coming in

Got out the big boy per Lars advice and it is infinitely easier to compress. Now, strangely enough, I have an uneven distribution of the compression. I watched it like a hawk and still got it. Whats more is my twist is back! HAhaha, incredible...so, sticking with what I have for compression in the back and going to get the twist back out after I get the front compressed down. The big ratchet strap made it super easy.

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This is with varying degrees of compression:

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I have a new setup for the twist removal, a bit more clean and refined, sorta.
 
So I am done for today. Period. If I work on this any longer I know myself, I will end up with a bunch of little pieces laying on the floor and the gas ax hanging from the tree in my front yard...:mad:
 
Meet and talk shop:
Don Brousard, cajuwings, was in town from LA, and we got together for some conversation and a little food. It was a pleasure to meet he and his lovely wife Barbara and chat. As he was or is an A&P IA guy, fly's gulfstreams now, I had him take a look at Vincent my RV-7A project and from his cursory look gave it a thumbs up. Not a detailed look by any stretch, but it helped me feel good about my work thus far.
He has a rebuild going on as well and just finished his slider canopy constrution so we had a lot to talk about. Or rather I had a lot of questions for him!
This really is a great community of folks! You hear that a lot, but it is true.

Build on briothers and sisters!
 
plexi

So I got this out of the storage unit today.
I need more room...Not sure what and where to move what is in the way, but I will figure that out tonight. Most of the stuff laying around in here has a value to some project now or in the future.

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The plastic is a bother and I plan on removing it and just covering the canopy in tape for the most part as Cajunwings did.
 
Let the fun really begin! I'm glad you get to do this first. :D

Haha! I have really poured over so many blogs and build sites...just now marked the center line with some tech12 from one of my rigging bags. Fancy cordage.
 
Plexi trimming

Geting ready to trim off some of the canopy. My older son took off with my car and didn't get back until almost too late to cut this as the temp is dropping outside...he is gone again with his little brother so now no one here to help me drag it outside...waa waa waa

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Reserved my N number this morning.
503KL
area code and initials
I like how ATC says "3" as "tree".
Considering I live in Oregon, "Tree" is appropriate.
 
Geting ready to trim off some of the canopy. My older son took off with my car and didn't get back until almost too late to cut this as the temp is dropping outside...he is gone again with his little brother so now no one here to help me drag it outside...waa waa waa

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You might find it's worth screwing a couple of bits of wood to your table to hold the sides of the canopy in - once you cut the flat section excess off at the front they get quite floppy, even more so after the "big cut"
 
Roger that Pitts!
I have another larger table top to do the cutting on. I realized I needed at least 4' wide and 6' long, so I bought a sheet of 3/4" ply and cut it to size just for the canopy work.
I need some higher temps here in OR now. I have plenty of random rivets to set until then.
Thanks for the tip!
 
Good on you for waiting for them higher temps. Don't want to join the crack club for sure. This is part of the reason I have been pushing so hard lately, would like to get the canopy done before our Wyoming winter shows up again.
 
Super ambitious Jereme! Awesome!

Not looking forward to moving ahead on the canopy. Actually trying to find anything else to do right now, haha. Bucked some rivets, looked up cost and part numbers for the wing skins and ribs I need to replace etc etc...
 
minor update

So the weather has been far too cold to cut acrylic. I have since moved to skirting work:

Here are the side skirts:
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Put in the last 6111 I think it is, didn't come out as good as the other side...MICRO BONDO!

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Have this to deal with, ideas?

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Cut the rudder cable fairings a while back

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I bought this guy to cut the canopy. I have cut acrylic in the past and a toothed blade is the best way, IMHO, but that is not easily done so will try this. If it doesn't work I will go with the die grinder and Van's cut off tool.

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Threw a few dive shot bags in to hold it a little stable
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I think today might be a canopy cut day...
 
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Rudder fairings

I didn't get the huevos to cut the canopy again, it was too cold :rolleyes:, so I worked on the rudder farings. Not sure this is how you do it, but another builder used screws and it sounded like a good idea.

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I am not sure I have the correct dimple on the fairing but I can always locate the correct one later and fix this.
 
Mine are riveted in 3 places and a #8 screw in the 4th to hold the clamp, which holds the nylon tubing. I seem to recall there being instructions that said to do it this way.
 
(snipped)

Have this to deal with, ideas?

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Looks like the windscreen glass let go over the top? Rough up the remnants and glass over it. If you use Sika 209D primer on the windscreen acrylic before you start glassing you'll get a much stronger bond with the epoxy.
 
Mine are riveted in 3 places and a #8 screw in the 4th to hold the clamp, which holds the nylon tubing. I seem to recall there being instructions that said to do it this way.

Thanks for the info! This is part of the fuse that I am working with previous builders holes. The tubing is held by a #8 screw outside of the fairing.
Seems to work ok. I also found that the 3/16 dimple die gave a nice dimple for the screw. :)
 
Right on Lars! I think that is what I will do! I need to cut back the glass shown a bit as it is free from the windscreen as well. Not all the way down but far enough to be a problem...Sika probably help here as well I would imagine.
 
skirts

I have been futzing around with the skirts today a little. I have a flair at the back I need to work out. I think I can redrill the extra set of blocks the canopy frame goes into.
I was using the original's that I thought was good for a preliminary setup but had anticipated drilling a final set. I still have a hint of twist I might try and remove before I
glue the canopy, so slight.

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I am still working out the canopy frame. I feel it needs to be just about spot on to make the following work ordinal or measurable. SO...back to tweaking the frame.
I found that my right side leg stub that mates with the roller are about 70 thou' proud, this is going to help out a lot with the teeter problem I have been fighting.
Most likely will make it go away altogether, I hope!

You can see it a bit exaggerated in this pic:
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Doing this will actually exacerbate my twist problem, DOH! But, I can deal with that now that I am getting my certification in twist removal haha...
Other than that everything else is a mess...
 
I didn't realize how HUGE the passages were in the originals until I made my own.

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This helped a lot for fitment, like, a whole bunch!
Maintained my parallel to deck on the side rails as well.
 
Canopy

I got serious about the canopy finally after several days if not weeks.
In Oregon when the sun comes out you better be quick! Got up to
70 plus, but not 75.

Before:

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During:

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After:

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When did my hair fall out? Do I look like this? Holy Moly!

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This little guy works well and is forgiving. The limiting factor was my eyesight in the sun...


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I have a lot left to do but it is a start!
 
Drilled the latch hole

So, I snuck into the garage and drilled the latch hole. Was a bit nerve-racking, but I managed to do it without trouble. I will go with Sika.

Also, I found that my diligently, I thought, placed center line was whopperjawed somtin' fierce! So I suspended a piece of Tech line and let the belly tell me where the center was, seems to have worked well as the side dim's are good. Still many trimmings to do yet as well.

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Glad to see your going strong there Kent! I wonder if anyone out there actually looks forward to doing the canopy? :D
 
Glad to see you're going strong there Kent! I wonder if anyone out there actually looks forward to doing the canopy? :D

I wasn't! I have been milking this thing along...a bit here, leave it, come back later or a day or two, look at it. Yep, it's still there! lol.
 
I wasn't! I have been milking this thing along...a bit here, leave it, come back later or a day or two, look at it. Yep, it's still there! lol.

Haha that's how I felt about deburring wing ribs, all 32 long hours of it.....
 
couple pic's

Did a bit of figuring on initial cutting

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Too cold to cut but I was tired of regular work...
 
Might get warm enough today

Taped off and ready to cut preliminary to 1.50"

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These dive weights work great for a little stability

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Static line run to the front, seemed as good a time as any could be wrong

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I went per plans, I really like simple and functional

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Canopy cuts looking good so far, keep up the good work. How do you treat the edges after they are cut?
 
Canopy cuts looking good so far, keep up the good work. How do you treat the edges after they are cut?

Belt sand with 180, worked well, then random orbit hand sander with 220, 320. After I get the final cuts done I will go to 400, no more than that.

Frankly, 320 is probably sufficient but the plans say go finer so I will.
 
cut rear canopy

Got the initial cut done on the rear

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I sanded edge with belt sander and then a pad sander to 320, smooth.
 
Edges

Sometimes I’m a fan of overkill. Sanding the canopy edges was one of those times. I went up to 400 grit while the work was going on, but after finished up with 600-800-1200. Was not necessary and it took a few extra minutes. FWIW my old canopy was pop riveted on per plans. Large sections were broken out in the noseover, but surprisingly there wasn’t much cracking at the perimeter rivet holes and the edges were left really rough(around 100 grit)

Don Broussard
RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer
 
Don, I can see going with a wet sand of 400 for final. I know I will.

Why didn't you just flame polish it! Sheesh..haha

I have another cut to get the final on the rear and figuring the side cuts now...

Hows cockpit treating you? Work-wise that is.

Thanks for looking Don!
 
Separating the canopy

So far so good

marking jig

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Marked

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sanded edge

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I just need some warmer temps. Cut the forward tool mark portion off yesterday and it was only 65F...seemed fine. This cut I want more heat.
 
Magnum Cut

Here we go! Magnum cut forthcoming

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The temperature just about there or is it me vacillating
 
seperated

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Offset, belt sand this out

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and again

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Used my Dremel with a whip attachment and a reinforced fiber disc from Dremel at 1.5" dia. Don B. tipped me off to the Dremel fibrous wheel, recommend highly! Worked well and was not terrible to do.
 
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The Cut

We can all breathe a sigh of relief now. I was about to post ?JUST CUT IT ALREADY?. Congrats, it is a big step and expensive if it goes badly. Your planning, layout and execution continue to look good.

Don Broussard
RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer
 
Thank you, Don! Anticipation is half the fun. I feel like I made a big leap with this done.

Want to get this on and move to the wings...
 
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