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Canopy Noise - suggestions please

jamiller

Active Member
Hey Team:

Just got my 8A flying and trying to work out the bugs. One of which is a loud, annoying, high frequency buzz/hum/rattle coming from somewhere behind me - from the canopy or skirt, I presume. It doesn't start until I reach cruise speeds. I discovered it will go away if I partially turn on the cabin heat. The cabin vents also work to minimize the noise, but don't work quite as well as heat. Have any of you encountered this? What did you find works best to make it go away?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

John Miller
Fairbanks, AK
RV8A, 5.1 hrs. and just starting to get comfortable enough to LOVE IT!
 
noise

From what I've heard, this is the canopy skirt vibrating.

The solution I've seen is to seal the aft canopy skirt well. This month's RVator has some techniques that you can use.

Vern Little RV-9A
 
Try the RVator method

Hi John,

We were getting the same noise on our -8A at cruise, but I don't know if heat or vents changed anything because in Houston we never use the heater and always have the vents wide open. Another problem we experienced was getting water in from the back of the canopy when going through rain.

I read the article Vern mentioned in the most recent RVator and decided to give it a try. At about $4, the materials were cheap an it took Diana less than an hour (I was working on the dreaded intersection fairings) to cut the felt and glue it in place. Over the weekend we made a trip from Houston to Louisville, KY, and during the nearly 12 hours of flight time through rain and speeds nearing Vno getting below clouds we remained dry and "buzz" free. Hope this helps.

Good luck,
 
Latest RVator?

So who do I have to know at Van's to actually GET my RVator delivered...?

I didn't subscribe during my first year of building, and finally signed up this year...have gotten two issues, and nothing more. I hear this is a common problem...

Sorry...back on topic! I'd like to see what the sealing method is, cause I am just at the point of calling my canopy finished, and if there is anything more I need to do, I'd sure like to do it now!

Can anyone elaborate?

Paul Dye
 
RVator delivery

I've got the same problem with getting the RVator. I usually get one issue a year, and the rest come all at once when I complain. I thought the problem was international delivery. Perhaps Texas looks like another country to the boys and girls in Oregon! :)

I'd like to see the canopy skirt article, since I'm "working" on that now. Actually, it's more like staring at it and scratching body parts.
 
had same problem

John,
I took all the sheet metal out of the rear baggage compartment one piece at a time trying to figure out what was making all that noise back there until I discovered it was the canopy skirt vibrating against the fuselage in the rear area right where it makes the turn upward. It sounded like a giant D.A. sander was chasing me. A piece of 3/8 inch wide by 1/8 thick weather stripping around the inside edge of the skirt solved that mystery and now she is quiet and silky smooth to fly.
Kevin
 
Photos?

OK guys...how about a few photos of your fix? I haven't heard anyone who DIDN'T have this problem, so we might as well include the weatherstripping before first flight....


Paul Dye
Messing with wheel pants this week....
 
pictures

Ask and you shall receive Paul. I took a couple (bad) pictures over lunch, but it?s hard to get a good shot with the canopy on the plane.

The article in the RVator was submitted by -8 builder Mark Weber and was a pretty simple solution. Cut some strips of felt .75in wide, smear Gem-Tac Permenant Adhesive glue on the felt, put it in place on the skirt, and let it dry with the canopy open (no need to remove the canopy to do this). Diana said to make sure you use latex gloves so the felt doesn?t stick to your fingers and pull it off the skirt when you put it in place.

canopyseal1.jpg


canopyseal2.jpg
 
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Oustanding!

Thanks Jeff - exactly what I needed to see - I wasn't sure if the felt should go right on the edge, or a little back from the lip. Now I see - right on the edge.

Thanks again,

Paul
 
RVator

Of course, the day after I post my complaint that I didn't get my RVator, it comes.

I wonder if it is a coincidence that all the Sun 'n Fun RV winners were 8s? :)
 
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