Welcome! Eventually you'll spend so much more money on other stuff that the pain of the extra canopy will be long forgotten
Cracked Canopy Member. Still smarts. Replacing a $20 part, small cuss word. Replacing a >$1000 part: big cuss word and evil glare from the spousal unit.
I had a period of denial where I was thinking about stop-drilling and gluing. As painful as it was, I'm glad I replaced the thing. If I hadn't, I'd have to relive the memory every time I saw my plane.
Go Sikaflex!
Don
... Airplane will probably still fly, though my Gold Lindy is out now.
I was wondering if there is, or if there could be, a "half canopy flea market".
If there roughly as many people with cracked "front" halves as "back" halves, then there have to be some half canopies out there, potentially for sale, that would be the correct replacement half for the CC Club members to take advantage of. (More likely for the slider group)
Can you guys give us a hint as to what cracked it, so we can learn from your mistakes?
There are a few ways to crack a canopy but one cause that surely vies for first place is this one. With depressing frequency, a lot of canopies have been needlessly cracked because the builder was less than perfect in technique. The subsequent and often reported damage by builders everywhere is understandable given what I believe is a questionable suggestion written into builders manual:Can you guys give us a hint as to what cracked it, so we can learn from your mistakes?
I wrote extensively about my mistakes, Ian, for exactly that purpose. I hope to help someone else not make the stupid mistakes I made. It's all in my web log.
Can you guys give us a hint as to what cracked it, so we can learn from your mistakes?
There are a few ways to crack a canopy but one cause that surely vies for first place is this one. With depressing frequency, a lot of canopies have been needlessly cracked because the builder was less than perfect in technique. The subsequent and often reported damage by builders everywhere is understandable given what I believe is a questionable suggestion written into builders manual:
"By countersinking before enlarging the holes, you can use a countersinking bit with a standard pilot."
Following that advice (using a piloted bit in Plexiglas) is to flirt with disaster:
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showpost.php?p=355369&postcount=1
Of course, YMMV.
Sorry your canopies cracked. I keep thinking it?s just a matter of time before mine goes. So I?ve already kinda accepted my eventual cracked canopy event, might be less of a blow when it does !?
I hit my head hard on the canopy of my rv-9a and cracked it midline; right where my head/headset hit. this was from turbulence when my shoulders harnesses was not tight enough- i am six feet 3. the crack eventually expanded to be about 16 inches left to right; but i did fabricate a nice repair piece and glued with weldon per the acceptable repair manual (FAA AC 43.13) and three years late it is likely stronger than before. I initially didn't like looking at it; but now i like it: stronger than before and a good reminder to tighten down my shoulder harness every flight
RV7A Flyer, Where did you get your custom vinyl stickers? John