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Air leaks through the canopy

H

HDDAHL

Active Member
Anybody out there have any ideas to stop airflow into the cabin at the rotation attach point and aft about 6-8" along the mating surface between the canopy and the fuselage? Winter is here and while the heater does put out a lot of heat the area behind the canopy rotation point does stay cool with the air leaking in.

Doug Dahl
 
This works pretty well.
IMG_8041.JPG



Notice that the back piece is normally a "P" profile that has been slit. Air coming in acts to open that and make the seal. At the bottom is a bit of peel&stick foam insulation. I had an old Bonanza door seal I cut the rubber piece from but any similar "P" profile should work. I saw this on Van's personal RV12. His was a piece of RV10 door seal, I think.
 
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Thanks Bill. I had put a similar but not p strip and it was not ideal. I will try the p strip.

Doug Dahl
 
Weatherstripping Kit from Vans

At Oskhosh, Van's said they will offer a weatherstripping kit to help seal all these areas. No word on when it will be out though.
 
ScottSchmidt said:
At Oskhosh, Van's said they will offer a weatherstripping kit to help seal all these areas. No word on when it will be out though.
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It's release is very close (but please don't call and pester the order people, they wont know much about its availability until all of the parts are in house and it gets formally released).
 
Since we're talking canopies

I tried to get mine to fit as best I could but the right side does not settle in like the left. The right side is higher and I can't find any obstructions. When I fly the pressure in the cabin lifts the right side a little more and twice as much as the left side.

I could use a number of seal options but if anyone has ideas on places to look, inspect, or change to get the right side to close further I'm open to ideas.

I suspect with everything drilled and "finished" I might not have a lot of choices. Thanks for the input.:D
 
Seaflyer16 said:
Anyone know if this kit is available yet?
Thanks.
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The install instructions have been going through the final proofing/review process so there should be a post on the web site soon (baring any supplier problems regarding parts/materials for the kit).
 
rvbuilder2002 said:
The install instructions have been going through the final proofing/review process so there should be a post on the web site soon (baring any supplier problems regarding parts/materials for the kit).
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For those of us interested in the current batch of S-LSA, is the kit going to be included with newly delivered airplanes? If so, is there going to be a price bump associated with it, over and above the listed selling prices? Hope not.
 
Driftdown said:
For those of us interested in the current batch of S-LSA, is the kit going to be included with newly delivered airplanes?
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The development of the kit was begun because of the S-LSA's, so I think it would be. (All those delivered so far have a form of the kit installed)


Driftdown said:
If so, is there going to be a price bump associated with it, over and above the listed selling prices? Hope not.
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Can't answer this with certainty, but I am pretty sure the new quoted price will include it.
 
Scott, any chance of posting a photo of what the weatherstripping kit contains. Specifically interested in what is being suggested for the wing spar openings.
 
Marty, the description on vans website doesn't say anything about wing spars. Just refers to canopy. I ordered the kit yesterday. Will post what's in it when it gets here. My wing spar seals work pretty well. I see if I have a picture in the files.

John
 
Pic

12 Canopy Seal Kit (in the list).

Hal_San photo recon:
i-88RKbXr-M.jpg
 
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Tony,

this looks more involved than just putting some foam strips in some places. What is all the metal for that's in the kit?
 
The square tube is for making frame extensions going forward, if needed.
The aluminum strips hold the z channel that seals the roll bar and rear canopy.
The alminum sheet is to aid in trimming the foam strip if you elect to use 3M 1099 adhesive instead of the PSA on the foam.
 
Seaflyer16 said:
The aluminum strips hold the z channel that seals the roll bar and rear canopy.
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I backed down doing this part of the sealing kit. Reason: difficulty in inserting the Al strips completely until they bottom in the slots. Even with all the screws lose, I would need to tap the strips into position which means possible stress and damage to the Plexiglas. I am also afraid that once the Al strips are in position the insertion of the seal will require putting more stress on the plexi. With these days cold temperature I don't even want to consider creating a crack in the canopy. I may try again when the weather gets warmer. There are two areas where I would appreciate comments from those who put this part of the kit in place:
- Is it really useful in decreasing the flow of air through the cockpit?
- Do you have suggestions to ease the stress on the Plexiglas while pushing the strips and seals in position?
What worries me is that thanks to the close inspection I did prior to doing the work, I found a small crack at the right bottom aft hole that was almost hidden by the Al skirt. This crack started from the hole and went one way to the edge of the canopy and the other way up under the skirt and about 1/4" beyond it. If I had not stopped it it would have eventually progressed and become more conspicuous. Following this I inspected all the holes involved and did not find any more cracks but I don't want to push my luck.
 
I just finished the canopy seal kit and found it fits very well. Overall I am very satisfied with the quality of the components. I have not had a chance to use it in flight yet. I did not use the rubber strip that is called out along the sill and canopy side frame. I used some neoprene (3/4x 3/8" thick) in this area. When (if) you get the kit you may or may not agree. I might wind up adding the called out seal on top of the neoprene.
 
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