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RV-4 Canopy Front Fairing

Sully73

Active Member
What am I missing? Where can I find detailed instructions / photos on how to fabricate and install the front canopy fairing for my RV-4? Is it supposed to be fiberglass? Metal? Both?
Thanks in advance
 
Clay Mold

Some builders have the skills to fabricate it out of aluminum.
Most use the same “clay mold” process used to make the gear leg intersection fairings.
 
Aluminum skins were provided with the kit. They were kinda preformed, shrunk in the rear skirts, same valid for the forward part. When those were fitted, which took about 3 weeks of part-time work, a small lip was build up outta CFK to bridge the canopy to fairing gap.

Detailed instructions, nope, it was just real building :D
 

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What I did

No plans for it, but what I did was mask off the area with mylar tape and lay up a fiberglass one. Trimmed it to look like a metal one and installed with rivets. I'm a metal guy by trade, but I wanted 100 percent contact fit without a bunch of trial and error.
 

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