[N282RV]

Ok I have searched the canopy skirt threads and still have a question about how one actually lays up the two pieces to make them one. I have the skirt clecoed in place all the way back and only have to join the pieces so that I can drill a hole and cleco it in the aft of the canopy. I guess my question is how have you all put them together, on the aircraft(I assume) did you build up the area under the canopy/frame and lay glass on it?
I have to keep the aft skirt taped with duct tape to hold the posistion I want it to have as there are no other holes to cleco to back there. If I remove the tape the skirts spring out of the posistion I want them in, so how do I hold them and glass them?
thanks
Jeremy

 

[Ironflight]

Jeremy,

I let the clecos in the plexiglass and frame hold the top portion together, and joined the bottom (aft) edge with a strip of aluminum temporarily drilled and clecoed to the skirt. This held the edges just the way I wanted, and I laid in glass across the joint. Once that had set, I removed the clecos and temporary strip, and laid glass down there. Once the two halves were joined, I worked on the inside with more glass and eventually micro to build up what I wanted.

Using temporary aluminum strips and clecos works well on glass work - you can fill the holes real easy with micro and resin.

Paul

 

[N282RV]

Paul

thanks for the suggestion, I probably went lighter on the number of holes near the back of my canopy as I only have a few, from the center line its probably 5-6 inches before I get to another hole. I did however just now get done laying my very first epoxy/glass and I did what you said but with my duct tape. Nice to hear how you did yours thought, I guess Im not too far off with how Im doing it. All the local -8 builders wouldnt answer their phones today.. go figure.
How many layers of glass and what weight glass did you use? And once you had it all glassed together did you have any doubts as to the strenght of your joint as opposed to the rest of the skirt?

thanks
Jeremy
N282RV

 

[Ironflight]

How many layers of glass and what weight glass did you use? And once you had it all glassed together did you have any doubts as to the strenght of your joint as opposed to the rest of the skirt?

I used a medium-weight cloth (I'm not very scientific about my glass work...) and probably did two layers outside, one layer inside. It is plenty strong, and you'll end up with lots of filling and filetting to finish it up nice. What's great about glass is that it is pretty easy to make it look good with an orbital sander!

Good Luck,

Paul