[David-aviator]

...dumb-dumb-dumb.

On Tuesday morning while lifting the Vans canopy onto the airplane, I felt a sharp right shoulder pain and had to let go of it. The canopy came down sideways and cracked across the windscreen area.

No, it was not a heart attack.

On Easter Sunday while playing baseball with some grandkids in Indiana, a ground ball came to my right, went for it bare handed and ended up prone coming down hard on the right shoulder - man, did that hurt.

Lesson #1 - when you are 74, act like it and do not play baseball, at least do not fall doing it.
Lesson #2 - get help lifting a canopy.
Lesson #3 - pay attention to edge smoothness, it might not have cracked with more care.

Decided to call Todd for a replacement. A tinted RV-8 canopy will be shipped next week. He is a great guy to talk to, like he said, stuff happens.

 

[longranger]

Mr. McGuire: I just want to say one word to you. Just one word.

Benjamin: Yes, sir.

Mr. McGuire: Are you listening?

Benjamin: Yes, I am.

Mr. McGuire: Plastics.

I wonder if Mr. McGuire was in the aircraft canopy business?

Seriously, sorry this happened, David. I am definitely NOT looking forward to that part of the build.

 

[Rupester]

Ugh ...

Sorry to hear that, David. I'm younger than you, but still constantly learning that new limitations regularly emerge as "we" age. It's just hard to admit it.

 

[skyking902001]

Cracked--

David, sorry to hear about your bad luck. Many of us have had our setbacks during the build--me included! All it takes is time and money and we're back in business. Don't give up on baseball with the grandkids (maybe slow down just a tad). Those kids will remember their granddad playing ball with them long after our planes are finished.

 

[mannanj]

...dumb-dumb-dumb.


Lesson #1 - when you are 74, act like it and do not play baseball, at least do not fall doing it.

David: a quote from an old friend-----"Getting old is easy!. The hard part is BEING OLD !

 

[Danny King]

Feel your pain

David,

Man do I feel your pain. I play senior softball, and have replaced a broken canopy. After every game, I body tells me just how old I am, but I keep playing. Canopies on the RV-8 can and do break. You don't even have to drop them. They tend to break when no one is looking!

Good choice on the Todd's canopy. I helped an RV-8 builder install one. The skirt required some additional work to make it fit, but the final results are beautiful. His tinted canopy is very sleek with the dark tint and the more raked line from front to rear.

Best of all, you will love flying your finished 8.

 

[tkatc]

Unfortunate news. But now I can learn from your experience with a Todd's canopy! Please take pics of your skirt layup! Do you plan on Sika or rivets?

 

[David-aviator]

Unfortunate news. But now I can learn from your experience with a Todd's canopy! Please take pics of your skirt layup! Do you plan on Sika or rivets?

About decided to on the Sikaflex method, Tony. Seems like most guys are very satisfied with it. The skirt will be a challenge.

 

[stanman]

re broken canopy!

The positive thing about this story...is that you.re 74 yrs old and still fiddlin with aeroplanes...well done!...by the way I have a Todds canopy...it came out beautiful!...rgds stanman RV8...

 

[David-aviator]

The positive thing about this story...is that you.re 74 yrs old and still fiddlin with aeroplanes...well done!...by the way I have a Todds canopy...it came out beautiful!...rgds stanman RV8...

Thanks for the positive report on the Todd canopy.