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Turtle Deck and Rear Window Install?

RudiGreyling

Well Known Member
Gents,

1) Any reason not to rivet the Turtle deck in position early when the plans suggest (page 25-05)? AND
2) Does the rear window need to be easily removable for any maintenance reasons? I am thinking to glue seal the edges of the rear window with sikaflex (Making it a permanent install). Just as insurance against the reported fuel spillage and window edge cracks that goes along with it?

Thanks in advance,
Rudi
 
Perfect, fuel lines done, but still need to do flight controls, so we will leave them un-attached.

What about permanently (gluing in) installation of rear window? Does it have to be removable? or can the tank be removed via the front?
 
make it removable

Rudi, I saw one RV-12 that had probably had gasoline spilled on the window. It had many parallel cracks near the filler neck. I think the stress of bending the lexan makes the top layer stretched or weak so the gas can get in. I have one tiny crack on mine.

I thought about a vinyl sticker on that area to keep it out of the screws and window. If I am fueling from gas cans I put masking tape on the window.

john
 
Rudi:

Regarding fuel tank removal- it can be done from the front without removing the window (I have done it). Seat backs obviously need to be out of the way and it does take some stretching. However, the inconveniences of taking it out from the front pale (in my opinion) to the hassles of removing all of the screws holding in the window and then wrestling it back into position and reinstalling the screws!

Jeff
 
Thanks Jeff,

That is exactly what I am looking for. That means I am going to give serious thought to sika seal the rear window in place. Pitty all the screw holes are already drilled, otherwise It could just be glued in place with sika with only a couple of clecko holes to hold position.

Rudi
 
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