L

lewy

Well Known Member
Hello, Page 25-05, We clecoed in the aft glass and there is about a quarter inch difference from pilots side to passenger side. On one side of the roll bar you can see the gap between the 2 halves of the roll bar and on the other side you cannot see the gap. We are getting ready to match drill the glass to the roll bar and I noticed the offset. Will this affect the canopy glass when you shut the canopy or do you trim the canopy to fit here? The glass is clecoed in and everything fit o.k., no way of adjusting aft glass. Does the canopy glass fit tight to the aft glass or is there a gap between the two? Thank you for any advice, Don Lewis
 
Front Canopy!

Yes there is a gap between to front canopy and the aft canopy. If all pre drilled hole are lined up correctly then you can grind off the front to line up evenly with the roll bar.


John
RF12 N1212K
 
Last edited:
lewy said:
Hello, Page 25-05, We clecoed in the aft glass and there is about a quarter inch difference from pilots side to passenger side. On one side of the roll bar you can see the gap between the 2 halves of the roll bar and on the other side you cannot see the gap.
Click to expand...

It is usually possible to move the roll bar slightly. Try taping on it with a rubber hammer or your hand to move it in the direction you want.
You wont be able to move it a quarter inch but you should be able make it better. It is designed for the window fwd edge to approx. align with the center of the gap on the roll bar.
 
Lexan

And don't forget that window is not plexiglass...it is Lexan and hates petroleum products. If you spill gas on it, it will craze while you are looking at it. It doesn't break, just gets real ugly. Having been stupid and done so, I can attest to the speed with which it happens. Its not a major event to avoid when filling but I do fill the tank myself and wrap a rag around the nozzle just to catch any possible splash. Lexan is necessary because it bends as the design requires and is also very strong (they make bulletproof glass from the stuff!) Just pay attention. A new piece from Vans is $180.
 
You may want to consider waiting until the canopy is drilled and fitted. Then you can move the rollbar just a bit one way or the other to get the best fit with both. I only removed the machining marks from the aft glass and then waited. Trimmed a bit off of mainly the rear glass after the canopy had been fitted with minor sanding on the canopy edge.
 
Aft turtledeck glass

Marty, That sounds like a good idea, i would drather cut on the aft glass, it is less expensive to replace, in case of a jump of the cutting wheel, no rush to fit it anyway. Will wait on finish kit and then make adjustments. Thanks again, Don Lewis
 
When flying through rain underneath stratus clouds is still VFR.
Besides that the plane can be parked outside during a rain shower.
If the aft window leaks I want to use sikaflex to seal it. That also seals the window for some spilled fuel.
 
Gagarin 737
Hey, no hard feelings I was kidding (partially) as your statement did say "flying in rain". Most rain clouds are 600 to 2000 ft above the deck. Staying clear of clouds doesn't leave much room. Additionally you will have to plug a lot of potential leaks in the fuse, front of canopy, etc. in order to keep the rain out.
Dickl Seiders 120093
 
Flying in the rain

I thought the same thing about flying in the rain but I guess it depends on where you live. I did my Dual cross country in steady rain with the cloud decks at 5000 ft. A very weird day in AZ for sure but was a good flight and very smooth.
 
@Dick Seiders
Off course no hard feelings.
In the area were I live we have class G upto 1500ft. Above is class A. In the last 15 years (during VFR flight) I have not flown above 3000ft.

But it would be nice to keep some water outside. This is really the first time thinking about it and when I can avoid some water entering the flightdeck by glueing the aft window to the turtledecks and rollbar I'm going to do that. Any more suggestions?
 
Wow! That's cool. When it rains here in Atlanta usually scud running is required.
I would look at seal under the canopy where it meets the panel cover, and there are a couple holes down by the fuse joint near the steps. I noted while flying today that the canopy gap on the aft side of longerons location opens up a bit. I also suggest you check out the RVator as Van had an article about sealing gaps and holes. I forget whch one, but it was recent. Good luck.
Dick Seiders 120093
 
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