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SmoothAirCruiser

I'm New Here
Recently bought an RV9A slider and looking to do some touring. It does have a cover but I’m just curious how much water they let in if tied down with some overnight rain. My canopy is a neat fit/close and doesn’t leak air but not sure about water.

Sorry if it’s been discussed before but I couldn’t find anything. Cheers
 
I have an RV6 that I finished two years ago with a slider canopy. I also have a canopy cover that I use when parked outside overnight. So far I’ve never had any water leaks when it rains. We had some pretty hard rain at Sun N FUN this year.
 
Just make sure that the canopy cover goes over the NACA air vents if you have them otherwise rain can get in there (ask me how I know this:cool:)
Figs
 
Since the cut line is fwd of the high point on the canopy some of the water will run fwd to the opening. I have got some in mine if not covered (ends up on the seats). In flight I don't get any though.
 
Static, no water ingress, cover installed or not.
Flying, I get quite some water sucked in at the rear of the skirt, but mainly between the rail and the U channel above which leaves too big a gap... #23 on my improvement hold item list.
 
Dan 57 said:
Static, no water ingress, cover installed or not.
Flying, I get quite some water sucked in at the rear of the skirt, but mainly between the rail and the U channel above which leaves too big a gap... #23 on my improvement hold item list.
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Same. I greatly reduced the migration of water up the u channel by (a) putting some Velcro loop material inside the u channel (and also around the inside of the base of the canopy skirt generally) and (b) installing rubber seals on the canopy siderails, both of which were described in the thread here.

This has greatly reduced the amount of air entering the cockpit from the rear, and exiting the cockpit through the sides. Flew through some rain a few weeks ago and got ZERO water in the baggage area. Hoping it will also improve my cabin heat situation in the winter as well.

These cabin sealing mods were the best VAF-inspired upgrades since the stupendous upperdeck-inspired chalk bag idea.
 
I get about a drip a second in moderate rain. I learned that while trying to sleep in the plane while stuck at a nowhere airport... :(
 
I don’t know for sure. No water in the cockpit ever, but OSH 4 years ago the belly was full. I suspect it came through the tail. Heavy, heavy takeoff Thursday morning, first refuel stop on a slight incline water was flowing. I now have drain holes in the belly.
 
uk_figs said:
Just make sure that the canopy cover goes over the NACA air vents if you have them otherwise rain can get in there (ask me how I know this:cool:)
Figs
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That’s one reason to have shutters on the NACA vents, the other is to shut out the cold here in the great white north. 🥶
 
texdog said:
I don’t know for sure. No water in the cockpit ever, but OSH 4 years ago the belly was full. I suspect it came through the tail. Heavy, heavy takeoff Thursday morning, first refuel stop on a slight incline water was flowing. I now have drain holes in the belly.
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Judy's make-up stash I presume:D
 
My slider leaks a lot less than a buddy's tip-up :)
After putting some large D shape rubber seal on the aft side of the windscreen hoop, the other leak point was the canopy latch.
 
RV-6 slider, no water when its sitting but same as others with it coming in the back flying. Various mitigation measures help but haven't eliminated that.
All of that said I use a cover most of the time when parked outside.
 
Dan 57 said:
Static, no water ingress, cover installed or not.
Flying, I get quite some water sucked in at the rear of the skirt, but mainly between the rail and the U channel above which leaves too big a gap... #23 on my improvement hold item list.
Click to expand...
Same here, dry when on the ground but it brings in a little at the aft channel in flight.
 
Thank you guys apprciate all the feedback!
I at least know what to expect and where to look. Sounds like it can be mostly managed if there is an issue.
 
Not very. I think that a small wedge shaped piece on the front of the slider, same height as the canopy in front of it, would help with rainwater on the ground. Probably good for a hundredth of a drag point, too.
 
Don't know if you guys noticed, but I believe that almost every "dry when parked" comment in this thread was about a taildragger. Makes sense, as the 3 point stance looks like it would result in water having to run uphill to find a way in.

I can totally understand how a tricycle gear would leak because as JCarne said, the high point of the canopy is aft of the big cut and it seems logical that at least a bit of water would run forward and under the targa strip.
 
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