[flyinaggie]

Newbie here, looking for tips, no pun intended. I've seen some posts on this topic but don't believe they quite fit my situation.
I just acquired a -9 unfinished kit, with QB fuselage, 2011 if it matters. I'm told it was for a tip up canopy. I haven't verified to plans yet, what if any additional work was done, but there are some clecos that lead me to believe something changed since shipped from Vans. Pictures attached of how it sits, some of you can likely easily tell me what I've got.
Finishing kit not purchased yet.
I would like to build with a slider canopy.
Question 1 - given the early state I am in, how difficult will it be to convert to a slider canopy? I recognize I will likely have to buy some piece parts, unless they actually come in the finishing kit.
Question 2 - I see at least two slider mods available, the Meske tip-up slider and the Supertracks allowing it to slide further back. As improved access to baggage area is the primary reason for wanting the slider in the first place, I am interested in these options, and would appreciate any feedback from those who have these. And, it is probably overkill and not necessary, but is there a chance these two modifications would actually play together simultaneously?
Thanks for any and all inputs,
Roger

 

[wirejock]

Looks like a tipper F705 bulkhead and the forward brace, but that can be changed. The big differences are the forward substructure, roll bar and canopy bow. You need a bunch of parts, but it can be done. If the canopy hasn't been cut, that's a big savings.

 

[rv6ator]

Having built both a slider and tip up, I can say the difficulty factor is about the same for both. They each have their pro's and con's. Tip up has awesome visibility, but water ingress, canopy rigidity and ground ventilation are concerns. Slider compromises visibility with forward roll bar and fixed windscreen. I feel the slider offers superior bird strike protection. SuperTracks are the way to go with the slider. I have used but not installed the Meske kit which I found to be a little awkward to operate and over engineered.

 

[Dugaru]

SuperTracks are the way to go with the slider.

+1. Easily one of the top upgrades I’ve done to my -9A.

 

[uk_figs]

I have the Meske style tip up mod and it works fine but the Supertrack mod was not available when I did mine and it looks like an elegant solution.
Figs

 

[Ralph Inkster]

You have builders manual & plans set. A couple hours studying these you will see the difference between slider & tip up. While doing that you can build a parts list for ordering & pricing at the same time. You will also see the leftover parts, that will have little resale value, so you can realistically judge if this process is worth your efforts or not.
Good luck with your build project- overall that effort will be well worth it!