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parked and scorched interior

Build9A

Well Known Member
I have a canopy cover for my RV9A but don't always use it for a short stop. Yesterday I parked on the ramp and it was 86 degrees outside, started to put the canopy cover on but decided not, since I was going to be back within the next hour or two. Bad decision. Seat belt buckles too hot to touch, even the throttle and mixture knobs too hot to touch.

I'm thinking of buying a car sunshade that you put in the window of your car to use when I don't want to use the canopy cover.

Anyone have any great ideas or success in keeping the temps a little cooler when stopping for a short time and don't want to use the canopy cover, which can be challenging for one person when the wind is blowing a little.

Suggestions would be appreciated. take care.
 
If the location is pretty secure, I try to leave the tip-up propped up and Paul leaves the slider partially open. I have also draped the canopy cover over the interior...inside the plane....in these circumstances.
 
I'd start with a Koger sunshade, you can get 'em from Van's. If you do much cross country, I don't know how you live without it.

When we lived in Nevada we'd carry a couple of white bath towels...you can drape one over and down the panel and another over the seats.
 
HOW TO ATTACH A CANOPY COVER TO AN RV IN A STIFF BREEZE, ALONE.
1.Remove standard issue Van's canopy cover from pouch.
2.Determine which end is the front. Hint: The front is where the longer strap is. Also determine which side of the buckles go against the plane.
3.With cover laying on front top of cowl, run the forward strap under the prop and buckle a small length of strap in the corresponding buckle.
4.Now slide the cover aft over the canopy ensuring that the front strap is positioned correctly in front of the gear legs.
5.Take off a shoe and use it as a weight to hold the aft portion of the cover down on the canopy while reaching under the plane to get the aft strap.
6.Buckle aft strap and tighten. Tighten forward strap.
7.Ensure complete installation is tight and positioned correctly.
8.Oh yeah, just make sure you get everything you want out of the plane and all switches are off first.
 
Slider or tip-up?

If a slider, when not cut a second slot for the canopy lock to use and leave it cracked an inch? I think I'm going to do that. Cooler but still is a theft deterrent.

Tip-up, maybe someone else has an idea?
 
I leave my canopy open...

but then again I live in Montana, and we just shoot people that mess with our planes :eek:

I once had a motorcycle where an aftermarket windscreen had focused the sun's rays, melting and burning plastic on the gauge cluster. When I saw the title of this thread I was afraid I was going to read a similar story.

Hans
 
I have a canopy cover for my RV9A but don't always use it for a short stop. Yesterday I parked on the ramp and it was 86 degrees outside, started to put the canopy cover on but decided not, since I was going to be back within the next hour or two. Bad decision. Seat belt buckles too hot to touch, even the throttle and mixture knobs too hot to touch.

I'm thinking of buying a car sunshade that you put in the window of your car to use when I don't want to use the canopy cover.

Anyone have any great ideas or success in keeping the temps a little cooler when stopping for a short time and don't want to use the canopy cover, which can be challenging for one person when the wind is blowing a little.

Suggestions would be appreciated. take care.

A Kroger Shade work very well... I think DJ at Cleaveland Tools sells them at a right price.
 
have koger sunshade still hot without canopy cover

We too did a flight Sunday and were gone a couple of hours. We had the Koger sunshade in place and left the slider open about 5 inches. When we came back, we had the same issues-hot seat belts-even the dynon said it was out of the temp range. We usually stick those silver sunshades in the window, but forgot to take them.
 
magnifying glass effect

A local RV9 had a section of it's panel shade felt burned by the canope focusing the sun on it. Lucily someone noticed the smoke or it could have been bad. I'm thinking a resourceful craftsman could make a form fitting shade screen oiut of a couple of truck shades.
 
Always put the cover on

Some times it is a struggle but I wouldn't leave the plane parked outside alone without putting the cover on.

Bob Axsom
 
sun shade

My wife cut a white sheet for a crib down to fit, clipped to the glareshield and hooked on the back of the seats covering the panel and seats from the hot sun. Seems to work well.
 
I was at Cable City airport about 2 years ago. Just walking down the flight line. I stopped to look at a nice side by side tip-up RV with leather interior. The canopy was opened. After closer inspection of the interior I saw smoke coming out of the dash. By the time I asked who's plane it was and got to a point where I could do something, the leather dash cover caught on fire. I put it out and never found out who was the owner. That event has bothered me ever since. I would hate to come to my plane and see it on fire due to our big magnifying glass.
 
Keep a small roll of duct tape in the plane - it will help with putting the cover on during the mysterious rogue winds associated with this exercise. Or convert to a slider...
 
Auto Sunshades

A friend turned me on to those thin sunshades sold at Kragen. When unfolded they are about 2'x3', come in pairs with many designs on them and when you flip-fold them up, figure eight style, they are only the size of a dinner plate and and inch thick. Easy to store. Two pair or maybe just three of them would work for a side by side. Only takes a few seconds to lay over areas to keep cool. I use them daily in Calif. sun with no heat issues. Would send a picture if I could remember how............. :rolleyes:
 
You've lost me here!

Keep a small roll of duct tape in the plane - it will help with putting the cover on during the mysterious rogue winds associated with this exercise. Or convert to a slider...
Why would it be any easier to put a canopy cover on a slider?
 
My appologies!

Sorry, I'm just not in the correct frame of mind to recognize humor. I'm in the middle of a "not so fun" project right now.
 
cooling

I park the 9A in Arizona sun all the time. (slider)
If I don't put the full cover on, I pop out the fabric windshield covers and put one behind the canopy on glare shield and the other across the panel and seats. That, coupled with the Kroger works OK. Not sure I could own the plane without the overhead Kroger though. What a greenhouse....
 
This is what I use
 

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