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Gusmax

Well Known Member
We were fitting the aluminum RV-4 style canopy frame to the fuselage last night and realized that it will require major surgery to make it fit. I have always loved the look of the Showplanes canopy on the 8 and I'm thinking about building a similar design for our IO-360 powered Rocket. I have studied many pictures and video's of the SP canopy and have a few questions for the folks who have built one.

1) What is the core thickness of the honeycomb crossmembers? My guess from pictures is 0.375".

2) What is the thickness of the core on the vertical part of the frame just above the piano hinge?

3) Any guess as to the layup schedule for the canopy frame?

4) Is carbon fiber a good material for this construction, or is the thermal expansion rate of CF not good mix with the acrylic canopy?

It would be the easiest just to by the frame and parts from Showplanes, but it will not fit.

Thanks for any help!!

Phil
 
I´ve got no idea on your questions no. 1, 2 and 3 but regarding 4 I´d like to point you towards high performance gliders, which all have carbon fiber frames and acrylic canopies. Especially those from Schempp-Hirth double seaters are pretty big canopies who experience rather extreme temperatures in their operating regime. Yes, there are some fitting issues regarding thermal expansion, but glider pilots are very scrupulous when it comes to make them as airthight as possible and I haven´t heard of any cracking issues.

Good luck!
 
Gusmax said:
We were fitting the aluminum RV-4 style canopy frame to the fuselage last night and realized that it will require major surgery to make it fit.

Phil
Click to expand...


perhaps the work i have documented here will help. can be found in my signature also.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxZA8yrZXBYdNTEwYTA3ZWUtZmY0ZC00OGRkLTg2ODItMmJiMTNmYWIyOWZh/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-OOvIA5DXkbfSWTQKdWy_3Q

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNNvp-F7AyZ6o5GvgjygH8Pi0tvICNUzr1UZ4-zftCfN7cUb_I13zzhUOlrCOKUiA?key=X2V6RDBWUnBud19zRmxxRlgzalVKVzZmS3pBaUhn

0000085937.jpg
 
Hi Maxu, I have been maintaining a fleet of sailplanes for the local soaring club for the past 20 years, and you are correct about the CF frames. It looks like the sailplane canopies are also glued in flush without a couple of layers of glass tape over the plexiglass and frame like they do with the Showplanes version.

Hi Axel, I have looked at all of your pictures, thank you for posting them! I saw all of the modifications that you did to your aluminum frame to make it fit and then you ended up with most of it composite once done.


After working on the beautiful sailplanes for all these years, the clean composite structure really appeals to me.

Thanks for the replies,

Phil
 
Mcmark said:
Axel,
That's just dead sexy!
Click to expand...

Thanks


Gusmax said:
Hi Axel, I have looked at all of your pictures, thank you for posting them! I saw all of the modifications that you did to your aluminum frame to make it fit and then you ended up with most of it composite once done.

Phil
Click to expand...

Glad the pics helped. The Word document mentioned should have lessons learned and things I would have done differently at the end. Like some of the canopy geometry issues and making the frame all out of composites. I built an 8 fastback with the showplanes parts. I don't think that would work on the -4 or rocket fuse without major work.
 
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