Tip Up Canopy Stops

[pilot28906]

Anyone have some dimensions on the brackets to go onto the longerons to attach the bolts for the canopy stops on a tipper? Or better options to keep the canopy from going forward when the struts are attached? The more detail the better. I am beginning to think I will never get this canopy done!!

Thanks

[BillL]

The canopy is a bear. Just keep wrestling with it.

On the stops, I installed them, but after the plexi was on, and 771 riveted, I installed the struts and saw no movement. I measured the forward gap and it did not change. Just don't install the struts until all the 771 is riveted on and you don't have any need for the stops.

Others rave about them, but IMO they are useless. Just don't install the struts until everything is all riveted and glassed and nothing will move anyway.

BTW I added about a 16th to the length just to be sure the strut did not bottom.

Good luck with that canopy, I am removing my 771 today to fix a fit problem.

[pilot28906]

Thanks Bill for the info. I will remove the struts for now. The main thing now is to get the canopy in the correct position so I can fit and cut the plexi over the luggage area. I have the main canopy sika-flexed on and the fit was good on the side skirts to skin until the struts.

Thanks again.

[bruceh]

I did some stops on my tip up, but slightly different from what you are describing. On the forward frame, there are tooling holes. I put a nutplate aft of the frame and used rubber bumper stops screwed into the nutplate to act as a stop against the subpanel. Works fine, easily adjustable.





I did have to trim down the red plastic bumper just a bit. I got the bumpers from McMaster-Carr.

[pilot28906]

Thanks Bruce, this looks like an easier way of making the stops. Do you remember the size of nut plate? I will look at McMaster Carr for the bumpers.

Thanks again.

[wjb]

Here are some photos of mine, made from L-angle. Fore-aft length is 1.5 inches, the slanted vertical piece is sized so that the hole for the positioner lines up with the existing tooling hole in the bulkhead (which I enlarged slightly). The positioner is a mushroom head screw originally intended for furniture assembly, available at any HW store. If I was to do it over, I'd install a nut plate on the back of the bracket and use a AN-3 bolt with a polished head. Once you're in position, you only need to a few 32nd's of adjustment range.







I found that my canopy was pushed forward by 3/32 - 1/8 of an inch when the gas struts were installed. These babies easily held everything in alignment.

Highly recommended!

[bruceh]

Originally Posted by pilot28906

Thanks Bruce, this looks like an easier way of making the stops. Do you remember the size of nut plate? I will look at McMaster Carr for the bumpers.

Thanks again.

I think it was for 10-32 threads. The bumpers come in various hardness levels. These were the harder ones with red polyurethane. I did have to cut off a bit of the bumper to make it fit between the frame and subpanel.

[RV7A Flyer]

Originally Posted by wjb

Here are some photos of mine, made from L-angle. Fore-aft length is 1.5 inches, the slanted vertical piece is sized so that the hole for the positioner lines up with the existing tooling hole in the bulkhead (which I enlarged slightly). The positioner is a mushroom head screw originally intended for furniture assembly, available at any HW store. If I was to do it over, I'd install a nut plate on the back of the bracket and use a AN-3 bolt with a polished head. Once you're in position, you only need to a few 32nd's of adjustment range.







I found that my canopy was pushed forward by 3/32 - 1/8 of an inch when the gas struts were installed. These babies easily held everything in alignment.

Highly recommended!

I did something similar, and it worked while fitting everything up, but vibrations from the engine always made the nut loosen. Removed them after flying, and as stated above, I saw no movement once everything was completely riveted together and installed.