RV-9A, SoCal

[rightrudder]

I brought out the heat gun again and really got aggressive with it, heating a small section of the emp. fairing at a time, bending it, and letting it cool. I did add some micro and a few layers of 'glass at the leading edges. I'm happy with the fit...not perfect, but then I repeat the mantra "it's not a show plane and I want to fly it in the next decade while I can still pass the medical." I think I've tied the record for number of fasteners, in all the Van's suggested locations.

I over-trimmed the gap-filler aluminum pieces, so I ordered a couple of new ones....only about $11. I think I'll final-attach them with standard (non countersunk) stainless screws, because for countersunk screws to be truly flush, I'd have to machine into the longeron a little and compromise the threads a bit.

Anybody else have an issue with K1000-06 plate nuts? About 15-20 percent of the ones I had were so tight that even with BoeLube on the screw, I'd snap the screw head off before it was fully threaded. So I ran a screw through each one to find the good plates before riveting them.

The fairings for the rudder cable exits are in place, ProSealed for now. I'm deciding whether I want to fill the cleco holes, or put in some pull rivets.

So everything in the tail is trimmed, tapped, riveted, wired, aligned and final-drilled, ready for final assembly after the trip to the paint shop. Phew!!! I'm running out of excuses to put off the canopy!! Now the tail can come off and go back to living in the spare bedroom for a while, freeing up some garage space.

[rightrudder]

Alrighty, then, I'm ready to tackle the notorious and dreaded slider canopy. I finished the slider rail and rollers, and plopped it in place to have a look. The frame's front hoop sits about 1.1" proud of the roll bar, so I thought I'd start by trimming maybe 5/8" off the roller sockets, which should leave enough material to file/grind down for the final fit. For the most part, the hoop's shape matches up pretty well with the roll bar, and spreading it slightly at the bottom will help get the side rails aligned with the fuselage contours.

In back, good news...the hoop matches the turtle deck shape quite well, and clears the skin without interference when slid open.

I need to have patience here. It seems that, just like baffling, no two canopies are done quite the same way. I'm sure I'm benefitting from a canopy frame that, in terms of dimensional accuracy, is a lot better than the ones made a decade ago. Some of the threads I've read on the bending (breaking!) process are downright frightening...

[rightrudder]

With many thanks to rivet partner Pete McCoy, we finished up the fuselage skin riveting, and I can say that gear weldments, bases of control sticks, etc. make impressive bruises on one's back after a day of panel diving!!! Actually, what i thought would take three hours took about an hour an a half...Pete hasn't lost the touch with the rivet gun.

Afterward, I got under the panel again to secure the tank vent lines and hook up the cooling air tubes, a little tricky with my nonstandard vent locations high in the panel. The right side was especially difficult with the map box in the way, but ultimately I got 'er done.

Also mounted the diagonal brace for the roll hoop (featuring the never-out-of-style whisky compass). The last week or so has been spent sanding, filling and fitting the main gear intersection fairings...a ton of work, but I'm almost done.

[rightrudder]

Well, it seems that when I riveted the FAB to the mounting flange, I didn't compress the filter nearly enough, so it was a loose, sloppy fit. So I glassed in three layers of 9 oz. cloth to the FAB floor...still not snug enough. Ultimately, I cut some 0.063 aluminum plate and ProSealed it in place, and all is well now.

I also took the time to notch the airbox for the mixture arm, and fit the formed aluminum piece on the inside. Since I made an offset throttle plate, the arm cleared already, but only by 1/16" or so. Now there's at least 3/8" and vastly improved peace of mind.

[Vlad]

Doug as I said before I am jealous of your work quality. As you admitted you made the sturdiest and heaviest FAB you may want to think about about its vibration and cracking the top attach plate. Fabricate a support to prevent it. There are many varieties I copied a bracket by late Bob Axsom.








Also FYI the rudder cable (especially the right one) will eventually "eat" into its plastic sleeve and it's a bit of work to turn it even with holding clamp totally removed.

[rightrudder]

Thanks for the suggestions and pictures (and compliment!), Vlad! I'll definitely incorporate a brace, maybe a strap of steel from one of the forward fuel servo studs to the front of the plate. Plate itself is made from 1/8" aluminum, so with this two-pronged approach, I shouldn't get any cracks.

Your brace solution looks great too...and I may have enough aluminum scrap on hand to make one.

[rightrudder]

I think that, after 7 sweaty hours of tugging and bending, the canopy frame is finally ready....until I mount the canopy and it spreads, that is!! I tried standing on the frame and bending it at first, but that method wasn't precise enough, so I made a fixture for the workbench with chunks of 2x4 bolted to the work surface. (I'm in the "expendable" work surface camp, so I didn't mind drilling holes in the bench. Normally, I have a towel over the work surface, so I won't lose rivets and bolts through these new holes!.)

This is MUCH better, as you can make multiple small bends instead of one large one that makes the hoop bulge out where you don't want it to. Even with more precise control over the bending, this is very much a trial-and-error procedure that can't be rushed. I cracked the powder coat on the frame in a couple of places in the process, but it's all touched up now with some gloss white lacquer.

Foam board templates of the fuselage side contours save a lot of time, as you don't have to re-fit the frame to the fuselage as much to check the curvature.

As the garage felt suitably steamy and acrylic-friendly, I made the initial trim cuts on the canopy, and the final cut around the rear hoops. So far, so good! The weather has since cooled off, so I need to wait a week or so for the heat to return before I make the Big Cut of legend. I read a build log that said you can never have enough spring clamps for various phases of canopy construction, so I ordered 30 of the suckahs, which should arrive tomorrow.

In the meantime, I started prepping the canopy skirt supports. Nothing shouts "Experimental" from the mountaintop more than a cool row of lightening holes! I used a hole saw from Lowe's to make 'em. A word of caution here--make sure the work is either held down VERY firmly or clamped, as the saw can grab suddenly at the very end of the cut. (You can't see my white knuckles through the glove!) It's a little startling, but less of a big deal if you're expecting it. Take your time and use very light pressure with the drill press. I finished off the relief cuts with a Dremel tool, and spent lots of Zen time with a file, rounding the corners and deburring.

[rightrudder]

A great day! As the garage had greenhouse'd up to about 85 degrees, I decided to make the Big Cut. I didn't use any special fixture, just plopped the canopy right side up on a bunch of 4x4 pieces, both in front of and behind the cut line to support the weight of each piece I cut about 6-8 inches up each side, then taped the cuts with duct tape as I went. The I finished it off with the bulk of the cut, taping every 4 inches or so. I used a Dremel SawMax with the wood/plastic blade...neat tool.

All 30 clamps were needed, so I'm glad I bought a bunch. The overhang in front of the forward bow is anywhere from 1/8" to 1/4", so I'll need to do some finish trimming and sanding.

The only place of concern with the fit is about 2/3 back on the canopy frame spine, where there's as much as 1/4" gap between the plexi and frame. It'll flex enough to make contact, but I worry about stressing the canopy. Have any of you guys used a shim here? And what kind of shim...is it as simple as using plastic washers at three or four locations?

Last, I had to plop the windscreen in place for a pic. Looking like an airplane now!!

[rightrudder]

I made the final cuts along the canopy sides today, and probably sweated off a couple of cheeseburgers in my 90-degree garage/sauna. But last night I final-mounted the rear slide rail, and mounted an LED light for cargo area illumination. The threaded rod angles downward a bit in profile (plans show it to be level). Aesthetically, it does bug me a little, but I'm calling it done. Onward!

[Vlad]

Hide that bolt as Billy the sheet metal vizard did