Tip: 'Targa Strip' for tip up canopy

[Greg Dillon]

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To prevent water entry and drafts at the joint between the rear of the canopy and rear window I made what one of my builder buddies calls a 'Targa Strip' (i.e. Porsche 911). I started by applying 3 layers of 10 mil pipe wrap tape to the roll bar and rear window to make a surface to lay the fiberglass on. I coated the tape with mold release compound to prevent too much epoxy sticking. First I laid up one layer of 'glass underneath overlapping the trailing edge of the plexi by about an inch. Then I closed and latched the canopy and laid up 2 layers of 'glass on the top,sandwiching a layer of flox between them, also overlapping the plexi and rear window. After curing and sanding I laid up a layer of carbon fiber on top for extra strength. After curing and trimming I ended up with an approx 1/16" thick strip overhanging the trailing edge of the canopy. With the tape removed there is very little gap between the strip and the rear window leading edge. The strip is strong enough to be used to open and close the canopy with little to no deflection. If you used all carbon fiber it would probably be even stronger.[IMG]

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