Tip: I need a Valium... Custom Canopy Skirt

"Cut it off" I heard him say.....

"Let’s just cut it off and build our own"....

My buddy Steve Bregiven (Giles 202 builder and "Master of all thing non-metal") was helping me fit the canopy skirt to my Todd canopy. And he was right,..... it did not fit well,.... as a matter of fact,..... it fit miserably where the skirt met the canopy. It was angling outward, mockingly, and would require major heating/reshaping to get it to fit correctly. Soooo out came the cutting wheel and off came the top portion of the skirt.




The next step involved building a carbon fiber band that would replace the portion I cut off. Once the layup was done, while it was still wet, it was placed on the skirt to form fit it to the canopy. Saran wrap was used to keep it from sticking to anything.




Wood, weights and foam was used to hold it tight to the canopy.






After it cured the band was removed and sanded to clean up the edges.



Next we to attached it to the canopy and skirt. Hysol 9430 adhesive was used. I never heard of Hysol before but Steve used it to glue his Giles together. I've seen his G meter at +8 and -6 so I know the stuff is strong (We fly together on the Rocky Mountain Renegade Team..... his call sign is "G-Man" for good reason).
This time we added wooden standoffs and more weights to hold the carbon fiber band tight against the canopy and skirt for 24 hours while it cured.




24 hours later it was ready to unwrap. I need a valium! I was nervous we may have created a "Frakencanopy". As the cocoon was removed, the butterfly began to emerge!



There is more filling and sanding needed, but overall I am extremely happy with the results and I learned a lot .... and that's the whole point of homebuilding!

P.S. although I jokingly call Steve "Master of all things non-metal" truth be told he is really good with metal too

That's the beauty of composite materials...it it doesn't fit, cut it off and replace it with something that does.

I'm a big believer in "whatever works", but I do have two curiosity questions.

(1) Why carbon fiber rather than ordinary glass fiber?

(2) Why the separate layup, bonded on later? Why not just fixate the skirt sans flange (cleco through the rivet holes) and layup a new flange in place? There would be no need for all the external bracing.

Put the experiment in experimental

Two good questions…
(1) Why carbon fiber rather than ordinary glass fiber?

Carbon fiber because it’s light, strong and I wanted the experience working with it, which I had not done before. Turns out nothing mystical about working with carbon…… besides, it was a great way to sink even more dollars into this never-ending money pit

(2) Why the separate layup, bonded on later? Why not just fixate the skirt sans flange (cleco through the rivet holes) and layup a new flange in place? There would be no need for all the external bracing.

I’ve already done that kind of layups…… this was a part of the experiment in experimental homebuilt. I thought I’d hate the glass work, but like so many other things with this project, I’m constantly surprised how satisfying each newly acquired skill is.

Good Post!!!

Thanks Bob,

Timely post for us. We have been looking at this type of solution but were concerned about successfully pulling off the details. These pictures will help a lot.

Vic
Canopy and Firewall forward.

helping each other

Ahhh, the beauty of this forum (Thanks DR). Dan H's method to lay it up in place on the canopy and skirt is also valid and frankly probably more common. This worked well and I felt I could start over easier if I didn't like the results..... of course there is always the cutoff wheel if it was laid up in place.
Bob

As Bob's hangar mate, I have seen this and it looks as good in person as it does in the pics. Its nicely done, which is to be expected from these two. I have only one question, "when's it going to be done?"

Soon

Ron,
It's gunna fly........ soon....