Sliders, the Sun, and Sun Shades

I have a routine in my tip-up -6 for handling the sun shade that goes something like this:

When parked, it's extended to shade the interior from the unrelenting Texas sun, and I leave it there for taxi. For takeoff, I stow it in the interest of maximizing visibility for mid-air collision avoidance and typically don't reposition it until passing about 3-4,000' in the climb. Approaching an airport for landing, I reverse the procedure.

Over the years, the tips of the shade have rubbed slight lines in the underside of the canopy. They aren't especially noticeable except when cleaning it, but the fact that they are there raises a question.

I'm close to buying a -7 slider. The builder added a strip of sticky Velcro to the leading edge of the shade and the underside of the canopy bow to hold the shade in place when it's extended with the canopy open during taxi. During a couple of test flights with him, he's left it extended for takeoff, which as mentioned above I prefer not to do.

If I purchase the airplane, the easy answer is to use the same procedure I use with the -6 and leave it extended and Velcro-fastened on the ground, then pull the Velcro loose and stow the shade for takeoff. The nagging issue with this option is the annoying tendency for the adhesive on sticky Velcro to lose adhesion after being heated up (which happens a lot in Texas), especially when pulled apart and refastened frequently. Replacing it is a hassle, especially when trying to remove the adhesive, which won't hold the Velcro in place, but resists all attempts to clean it off.

One of the primary reasons for leaving the shade extended for taxi is to deal with the greenhouse effect with the tip up. So I'm thinking about removing the Velcro on the slider's sunshade and leaving it stowed for taxi with the canopy open.

But last weekend I noticed a -6 slider start up and taxi out right in front of me, and the stowed slider in that open canopy was doing a lot of whipping around in the propwash. That got me to thinking about whether that might end up marking the inside of the canopy in a fairly short period of time.

Finally to my question, and that is whether anyone has experienced this with a slider, or is it a non-issue? Thanks for any advice.

Without the velcro mine won't shade the last 2 inches of the canopy which sometimes really helps depending on the angle of the sun. That last piece of material just hangs down or you have to tuck it behind the wire piece.

Instead of adhesive I have circles of velcro on the canopy bow that are attached with small screws. With the canopy open the propwash will eventually rip the shade loose from those velcro circles and let that first 2 inches of shade flap in the breeze. I bought a 10 yr old airplane and I just thought the velcro was getting worn out. If you only crack the canopy open about 4 inches it's much easier on the velcro and it stays in place.

I HAD adhesive backed Velcro on the canopy bow of my -7A slider. I too had problems in the heat and found those Velcro dots and some stainless screws to remedy the issue. Pretty easy job with a tap.

As for the prop wash, I don't have any problems unless I leave the canopy open for run up or take off

I keep my shade engaged 95% of the time. I only stow it if I engaged in active dogfighting with Russians or current Navy pilots. . (And aerobatics)

Thanks to all for the inputs.

I'm just not comfortable with leaving the sunshade in place for takeoff and blocking my view of that much airspace around me anytime in the low altitude environment, and especially in the vicinity of airports.

Good point about the loose flap. I hadn't even thought about what to do with it. That may dictate ending the sunshade at a wire support and not using the Velcro, which still leaves the concern about prop wash moving the shade around back there when it's stowed and eventually marking up the canopy.

As for taxiing with the canopy partially closed, will it stay in position? No tendency to creep?