David-aviator
Well Known Member
Have there been any reports of a Todd's canopy cracking on the RV-8 ?
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Van's Air Force
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Todd's canopy on the RV-8
- Thread starter David-aviator
- Start date
David-aviator
Well Known Member
192 views and no word on a cracked Todds canopy on the 8 - thats good news. 
Sid Lambert
Well Known Member
The Todds is much thicker as well.
I had a friend that bounced a small bird off his windsreen at 200 kts on the Todds. It didn't leave a mark.
I had a friend that bounced a small bird off his windsreen at 200 kts on the Todds. It didn't leave a mark.
Wicked Stick
Well Known Member
Todd's Canopy
I have a Todd's canopy that I mounted with the Sika-Flex entirely.
No pulled rivets at all. It's been flying a little over a year and a half now and it's been just fine so far. What I also like about the Sika is that it seems to make the entire structure stronger than letting it float in oversized holes with pulled rivets. Other 8's I've flown in, always seem to have the canopy rattle around when taxiing with it 1/2 open and mine does no such thing.
I made sure there was very little stress/pull on the latch to close it too.
Once the plane was outside in the warm sun, I did remove a tiny bit more of the latch hook to achieve this since it got a little tight to latch the first time I tried it outside in warm weather. It also latches and stays latched just fine in the winter months as well here in New England. I fly year round as well, and even had the plane tied down outside last winter for a month or two with no ill effects or cracks.
Just hoping that now that I've posted this, I don't end up with a crack...lol.
I have a Todd's canopy that I mounted with the Sika-Flex entirely.
No pulled rivets at all. It's been flying a little over a year and a half now and it's been just fine so far. What I also like about the Sika is that it seems to make the entire structure stronger than letting it float in oversized holes with pulled rivets. Other 8's I've flown in, always seem to have the canopy rattle around when taxiing with it 1/2 open and mine does no such thing.
I made sure there was very little stress/pull on the latch to close it too.
Once the plane was outside in the warm sun, I did remove a tiny bit more of the latch hook to achieve this since it got a little tight to latch the first time I tried it outside in warm weather. It also latches and stays latched just fine in the winter months as well here in New England. I fly year round as well, and even had the plane tied down outside last winter for a month or two with no ill effects or cracks.
Just hoping that now that I've posted this, I don't end up with a crack...lol.
mannanj
Well Known Member
Canopy Material Thickness
Don't know whether anyone else has "miked" the thickness of Van's canopies, but while trimming mine for fit, I noticed the thickness sure didn't look as thick as the flange.
The thickness starts out at .1875 or 3/16th. In. IIRC. The thickness measurement I got just aft of the canopy cut measured .087 in. I was really surprised when I saw that !
What happens is that the material has to stretch out of necessity to to make that giant bubble. Of course,it thins out as it stretches
Hopefully Todd's canopies don't thin out this much.
Remember how thin and fragile these plexiglass canopies are when you're drilling and handling them.
Don't know whether anyone else has "miked" the thickness of Van's canopies, but while trimming mine for fit, I noticed the thickness sure didn't look as thick as the flange.
The thickness starts out at .1875 or 3/16th. In. IIRC. The thickness measurement I got just aft of the canopy cut measured .087 in.
I was really surprised when I saw that !What happens is that the material has to stretch out of necessity to to make that giant bubble. Of course,it thins out as it stretches
Hopefully Todd's canopies don't thin out this much.
Remember how thin and fragile these plexiglass canopies are when you're drilling and handling them.
I have the RV that's featured in Todd's RV-8 web page.
http://www.toddscanopies.com/assets/images/n188l.jpg
Somewhere in the first hours of phase one I had a crack start at a rivet and it ran for about an inch, at the most. It was in an area where I had to use spacers between the rail and the plexi and I probably go the spacer size just barely wrong and put too much stress in it. I used the smallest drill bit I could chuck and stop drilled it. Hasn't grown since then (over 7 years now) and in fact it's so minimal I'll bet most of my passengers have never seen it. No one just checking the plane over has even brought it up.
So I'd say that the thicker plexi really does make a difference in that department as well. I cut mine in the middle of winter and without worring about getting it really warm. I mean, what the ****, it came with a warranty so I felt no pressure when working with it. Made cutting and fitting a lot less stressful for me. Glad I went with Todd's and I'd do it again without any further thought.
http://www.toddscanopies.com/assets/images/n188l.jpg
Somewhere in the first hours of phase one I had a crack start at a rivet and it ran for about an inch, at the most. It was in an area where I had to use spacers between the rail and the plexi and I probably go the spacer size just barely wrong and put too much stress in it. I used the smallest drill bit I could chuck and stop drilled it. Hasn't grown since then (over 7 years now) and in fact it's so minimal I'll bet most of my passengers have never seen it. No one just checking the plane over has even brought it up.
So I'd say that the thicker plexi really does make a difference in that department as well. I cut mine in the middle of winter and without worring about getting it really warm. I mean, what the ****, it came with a warranty so I felt no pressure when working with it. Made cutting and fitting a lot less stressful for me. Glad I went with Todd's and I'd do it again without any further thought.
Mine is finally cut and drilled. Cutting doesn't bother me at all, but that drilling plexi still makes me nervous. After drilling holes, I "debur" them with a conical grinding stone. I also carefully inspect every hole with 10x magnification. You would be amazed what you see. I fix all hole edge imperfections before further movement. It takes me a lot longer to inspect both sides of each hole and debur than it does to drill. I think that kind of care will go a long way toward avoiding a potential crack much further down the road. Or I could be all wet .
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Sid Lambert
Well Known Member
A friend bounced a small bird off his at 200+ MPH and it didn't crack. Good enough that I'll be using it on my next RV.
tkatc
Well Known Member
Mine is finally cut and drilled. Cutting doesn't bother me at all, but that drilling plexi still makes me nervous. After drilling holes, I "debur" them with a conical grinding stone. I also carefully inspect every hole with 10x magnification. You would be amazed what you see. I fix all hole edge imperfections before further movement. It takes me a lot longer to inspect both sides of each hole and debur than it does to drill. I think that kind of care will go a long way toward avoiding a potential crack much further down the road. Or I could be all wet
Pictures!, or it didn't happen!
Not necessarily a Todd's question but a general canopy drilling question. I understand the theory behind ensuring the holes and hole edges are dressed smooth. My question is, what about flame polishing? I am still a very long way away from working with the canopy but just curious if there is a specific reason for not doing it? I am here to learn.
Actually, I think an important part of drilling the plexi very, very slow (slow pressure, not necessarily rpm) is the fact that the drill bit clearly heats up enough to ever so slightly melt the edges of the hole by the time it pops out the other side. You can see it under magnification. That is about as far as I would be willing to go with the concept of "flame polishing"
.David Paule
Well Known Member
There's an article about it in "27 Years of the RVator" that strongly recommends not to do it.
Dave
Todd's
I saw photo posted in another thread not long ago that I think shows the two different canopies. I'm not familiar with the airplanes but I believe the left is a factory canopy and the plane on the right is a Todd's. Maybe someone will come along that can confirm this.
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=104607&highlight=flight
I saw photo posted in another thread not long ago that I think shows the two different canopies. I'm not familiar with the airplanes but I believe the left is a factory canopy and the plane on the right is a Todd's. Maybe someone will come along that can confirm this.
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=104607&highlight=flight
gblanck
Well Known Member
local canopy to measure
I have a Todd's canopy on my -8 -- still in the garage at home, not far from Bruce in Sunnyvale. At some point I'll be buying one of his covers for my -8 (already have one for my bonanza).
The shape is different. In the past they've come out to local airports to measure specific airplanes. If they'd like a local example to measure let me know.
-Greg
I have a Todd's canopy on my -8 -- still in the garage at home, not far from Bruce in Sunnyvale. At some point I'll be buying one of his covers for my -8 (already have one for my bonanza).
The shape is different. In the past they've come out to local airports to measure specific airplanes. If they'd like a local example to measure let me know.
-Greg
gblanck
Well Known Member
