[flyenforfun]

Hello Everyone,

Last night I completed the installation of the canopy rails. All measurments came out great, everything is parallel, and the canopy frame slides back and forth nicely. I have some small adjustments to make to get the aft portion of the frame to sit correctly so that the skirts will make a smooth transition form the frame to the fuselage but I think that is normal.

Here is the problem. I will outline it with pictures. As it sits now, everything seems straight. The tail end of the frame is center on the fuselage as shown in the picture below.

The right side of the frame butts right up against the roll bar.

The rear pin plugs in centered.

But on the left side I have about a quarter inch gap between the cage and the roll bar.

If I squeez the roll bar and the cage together to get rid of the gap, the cage twists and the rear is now off center. Difficult to see in this picture.

Now what? It doesn't seem like I can bend or twist this cage in any way to get rid of the gap without messing it up someplace else. Does this gap matter? If I can fix it, how should I twist or bend the cage? Is it better to have no gap but the rear loop slightly off center? Also, I don't think the roll bar is crooked, I measured it again today and it seems dead on. I also don't think the rear slider rail is off center either because my measurements were good. Thanks in advance for the advice.

 

[Danny King]

Gap

The small gap you have will not matter at all. The canopy glass will bridge the gap, and after the "Big Cut", you will build a glass and epoxy seal over the gap. The canopy tends to sqeeze together on one side when locked closed. So, even a square frame is slightly crooked when locked. Since your gap is on the latch side, the canopy will probably lock up squared.

 

[flyenforfun]

The small gap you have will not matter at all. The canopy glass will bridge the gap, and after the "Big Cut", you will build a glass and epoxy seal over the gap. The canopy tends to sqeeze together on one side when locked closed. So, even a square frame is slightly crooked when locked. Since your gap is on the latch side, the canopy will probably lock up squared.

But when it squeezes together it will be twisting the frame and the canopy. The instructions say to not let that happen..

 

[Ironflight]

But when it squeezes together it will be twisting the frame and the canopy. The instructions say to not let that happen..

But there will always be some twist when the canopy latches up - that's Danny's point. He's done more than a couple RV-8 canopies, and experience counts with the "art projects".....

Don't believe everything you read in the instructions....

 

[jferraro17]

I agree with Paul, if Danny says it's okay, I'd go with it!

Except for putting the battery in the back EVRYTIME! (Just kidding D, it's in the back, it's in the back).

Joe

 

[flyenforfun]

I got it!

I got it! I called Vans and Joe told me to lay the bow on a flat surface and try bending it in the direction it needed to go so I did and now I have only a slight gap but its even all the way around the roll bar and the only reason I have that is because of the stop block in the center of the back of the cage will not let it go any farther forward. So I feel better about it. The very back of the cage is slightly off center now but I think I will be able to fudge that when I fiber glass the skirt on.
Thanks for your advice
Matt