[Junglepilot]

I have my skirt ready to attach on my RV-8. Fits very nice.

The question relates to sequence of fiberglassing the rear joint/union and attaching to canopy & frame. Key point: I am using SikaFlex method.

Here is what I am thinking:

1. First paint & prime inside of skirt (leaving outside just primed for now).
2. Then go ahead and attach the skirt with the pop rivets and Sika along the canopy leaving about 3-4 inches on each side of union area to fill later
3. Next fiberglass the union, sand, finish, etc
4. And finally roll the canopy over and fill in the rear gap between fiberglassed union and canopy in rear

Any comments or suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[RVG8tor]

Glassed aft first

I just completed gluing my skirt on and I went a different approach. I fit the skirt and glassed the two halves together with everything held with clecoes. I primed the inside of the skirt but taped off the upper edge so the Sika would bond to the fiberglass and not the paint (I tested it this way, did not do a test with the primer)

Once happy with the fit I glued the upper edge and held the rest with clecoes, once cured I flipped the canopy and filled in the underside. I literally did this this past month so you can see my entires on the log linked below. I did not use any spacers between the skirt and the canopy, and it held very well this way.

Cheers

 

[Junglepilot]

Thanks...just to clarify

So you cleco'd the whole thing on, fiberglassed the rear, removed joined halves, primed & painted inside and then did the final attach?

How did the joint hold up when you removed it. My only reservation was the potential to crack that joint with those two halves kind of un-wieldy. This was my only concern about that approach (which was my first thought).

I'll check your pix as well. Thanks!

 

[Steve Ashby]

It should not crack

I did it just like Nemo and had no problems with the floppy skirt cracking. Once you fit the two sides, you just lay up a couple of plys over the outside of the joint. When that cures, unhitch the skirt from the canopy, gently flip it over and put a couple of plys on the inside. Once that cures, you should be golden. Then you can start the 287 hours of fitting, filling, cutting and sanding it takes to make the dang thing fit your canopy and fuselage.

 

[RVG8tor]

Sturdy

So you cleco'd the whole thing on, fiberglassed the rear, removed joined halves, primed & painted inside and then did the final attach?

How did the joint hold up when you removed it. My only reservation was the potential to crack that joint with those two halves kind of un-wieldy. This was my only concern about that approach (which was my first thought).

I'll check your pix as well. Thanks!

The joint holds very will. I held it from both sides when moving from canopy to work bench, but once a side slid off the work table and nothing broke. When it came time to glue I had the skirt on a table on saw horses and the canopy on a stand I made for it (see it in the log). It was a simple matter of me and my wife walking the skirt forward and clecoing each side in place so as not to smear the glue in any of the wrong places. Mine is the -8A so I need a small step but I can lift the canopy on and off the plane easily.

Cheers

 

[db8]

same same

I also used the method Nimo did and think that is the easiest way to do it. I think Steve is a little shy on his hourly estimate -- only 287 hours ? ;-) Dave

 

[Bob Ellis]

Hi Sandy

Variation on a theme - I made a plate to join the rear halves with rivets so I could keep the halves seperate until, in my case, the skirt was bonded to the canopy and riveted to the frame (I sika'd the canopy). My log entries for the skirt are in the fibreglass section of my log. Hope this helps.

Bob Ellis
www.rv-8.co.uk
Fuselage at the airfield - wings and empennage in a week

 

[Junglepilot]

Thanks for all your replies

OK, so back in the garage. Plan now to paint inside first, attach with clecos, fiberglass the rear, do a tad more prep off plane then attach (Sika edge to canopy then cleco, then pull rivets).

Though it is sanded, I will wait on the priming outside until it is attached to canopy to take care of the rivet heads all in one fell swoop, then probably go ahead and paint the skirt.

Thanks!