Windshield pre-load?

[ChiefPilot]

I've successfully Sika'ed the canopy to the sliding frame on my -6A project and am really happy with the results, and now it's onto the windshield.

The windshield doesn't fit extremely well but it fits ok - the area on the roll bar and the front fuselage fit well. The lower sides, however, where the windshield meets the fuselage side is another story. There is a gap of perhaps 1/2" between the plexi and the aluminum here. I can easily clamp the plexi to the fuselage skin with the idea that the Sika plus fiberglass work will hold it in place, but I'm not immediately comfortable with this.

I'm sure many other folks have run into similar issues - anyone who's been there before have any advice?

[Rick_A]

I definitely would not want any pre-load stresses on the plexi. I had some big gaps between the plexi and skin when I built mine.

I used the clips that Vans recommends, cut long enough to bridge the gaps, to hold the windshield in place. I then made up some small foam blocks to fill the gaps between the clips so that there was a smooth transition/contour between the windshield and skin.

Your fiberglass work will then be the key to having a good looking end product.

BTW. I also used the absolute minimum pre-load that I could get when I screwed the windshield to the rollbar. I used screws to hold the windshield in place and Sitka to fill in the gaps.

[David Paule]

It was on a boat, but I had a similar problem once. I installed a flat-wrap Plexiglas window to a curved surface with sealant. The issue was how to make sure the Plexiglas didn't lift away from the sealant.

I solved it by putting screws at the corners which would have otherwise lifted off the hull.

No problems, and with the boat stored outdoors in Colorado, rather significant temperature swings. No leaks in the four or five years until I sold the boat.

Dave