Glue Tip-Up Canopy to Frame Prior to Riveting Subpanel?

[Noah]

Getting ready to glue my canopy in place. I've been through the wars with the canopy frame, getting it to fit where it needs to, and I riveted on the canopy skin / glareshield and braces last week. I even forced myself to pick an interior paint and color and painted the inside of the frame (nothing else is painted inside).

So my question is, am I an idiot for wanting to glue (and finish) the canopy prior to riveting the subpanel in place? My reasoning is that I would like to maintain access to the front of the fuselage for as long as possible for systems installation (and possibly painting, see first paragraph). My concern is that clecos aren't rivets, and things might move later once I rivet things, and the canopy will no longer fit.

Anybody done what I'm trying to do? Success? Failure? More canopy misery and pain in my future? What say ye, Magic VAF 8-Ball??

[Rockyjs]

I riveted the sub-panel, but waited until I was complete with wiring to rivet the final front skin. It does firm things up when the sub-panel is riveted.

[flion]

I did as Rocky - only to find that the front skin I had fitted before doing the canopy now needed much shimming to match the canopy deck. If I had it to do over, I would leave the canopy to very last. Once the front skin was on, I'd finish the canopy frame to match and then fit and glue the canopy with the frame firmly in it's final position.

[Noah]

Yes, I also plan to wait to do the forward canopy skin until very late. This forward skin, while clecoed to the clecoed subpanel / frame, will already need quite a bit of shimming to eliminate the "air scoops" on the sides.

Nobody has tried to do the canopy fastening prior to riveting the subframe, huh?

[RV7Guy]

The very last piece of construction on the main airframe is the front skin. So, you want to set up and rivet all of the sub panel and ribs in place before beginning the canopy frame work. I was in this process on my 7 and was having some fit issues. A fellow builder stopped by and said to rivet the front sub panel and formers and ribs in place. Because of the tight fit of the canopy frame and close tolerance you need the front components (minus the skin) riveted in place. It got easier.

During the process the front skin was clecoed on and off many times. The fit was established to my liking. Then when the front skin was riveted in place I had some minor fit issues to deal with.

With the front components in you have plenty of room to work on the panel, wiring and systems. Leave the firewall recess off as long as possible too.

[DGlaeser]

Originally Posted by Noah

Yes, I also plan to wait to do the forward canopy skin until very late. This forward skin, while clecoed to the clecoed subpanel / frame, will already need quite a bit of shimming to eliminate the "air scoops" on the sides.

Nobody has tried to do the canopy fastening prior to riveting the subframe, huh?

If the subframe you're talking about is the one that has the Tipup hinges, I don't see a big problem as long as you have everything riveted before you drill the hinge holes. The only disadvantage I see is having a bigger bulkier canopy to take on and off as you're doing the hinges and fitting the forward skin.

[Noah]

The gooseneck and hinges are all drilled. Three times in fact- weld-repaired / weld-filled the goosenecks twice. Custom bushings. The fit of the canopy frame finally works, and is really nice. The hinge line gap is nice and consistent. The skin doesn't bind when the canopy frame goes up.

As an example of why I feel like I need to do it this way, I have not yet selected all of my avionics, but I know that some of them are deep and will require putting big holes in the subpanel to accomodate. This would be A LOT easier if the subframe remains removable until very late in the game.

So nobody has left the subpanel and frame non-riveted, clecoed only, while fastening and finishing the canopy? I just don't have a good idea of HOW MUCH things might move, and whether that will totally hose all of my canopy work.

[USCANAM]

Noah
My frame fit perfectly to the top skin, even after I riveted it on. Then I installed the gas shocks!! I've become an expert at repairing the front canopy skin (3 times).
Call me. I'll explain. Better still, come visit.
Jack