RV-8 Canopy Latching Problem?

[TomVal]

This one may prove to be a ridiculously stupid question.

On my -8, I can no longer latch the canopy closed from the outside. The internal lever/ hook no longer reaches the latching post on the canopy bow. The hook falls about ?? short from locking over center. From the inside, I can push the slider canopy forward, slightly compressing the canopy bow seal, and latch the canopy closed.

I seldom latch the canopy closed when the aircraft is parked in the hangar (which is about 99% of the time). Usually I run the canopy forward to about 1 inch of being fully closed to allow for ventilation. I am wondering that if by not latching the canopy fully closed, over time, this has allowed canopy seal to swell, thus affecting the latching clearance?

Anyone else experience this problem?

[John Collier]

I had this problem out of the paint shop. The paint shop didn't install the last screw in the canopy rail and the canopy would raise the rail and therefor not seat into the plastic block. You might give the rail, plastic slider, and plastic stop block a once over?

[TomVal]

Originally Posted by John Collier

I had this problem out of the paint shop. The paint shop didn't install the last screw in the canopy rail and the canopy would raise the rail and therefor not seat into the plastic block. You might give the rail, plastic slider, and plastic stop block a once over?

Thanks John for your input. I've already checked all the canopy hardware and it checked okay. I'm thinking the only variable remaining is the canopy seal. I thought the seal material was relatively inert but maybe not.

[Guy Prevost]

Assuming it's about 50?F warmer now than it was this winter, you can expect an RV-8 canopy to be about .2" longer at the top than it was in the winter. Acrylic has a thermal expansion coefficient of about 4 times that of aluminum. That doesn't tell you how to fix it, but it could be the cause.

Guy