June 97 RVator

The June 97 RVator has the article on making the lower metal trim at the windshield.
Find someone nearby that has the "xx Years of RVator" book... :)

I did this on my -6A tip up canopy, and was really surprised to find out how easy it was. If you make an accurate cardboard template first, it all falls into place...

gil A
 
Windscreen/Canopy metal Fairings

My RV6 slider has all metal canopy and windscreen fairings for many small reasons and one big one, I came down with a reaction to epoxy sometimes known as epoxy poisoning. I can tell you that you don't want that but the metal fairings did solve that problem. The fairings were not really that hard to make using posterboard patterns, some bandsawed wood form blocks, and some 5052 half hard .032" aluminum. It does require more time than epoxy and the rivet line will not be water tight so my fairings are bedded in Proseal to keep instruments dry. It all works well and is not really very noticeable from the epoxy fairings, in fact, it has not generated much discussion among RV'ers. I have seen slider canopies which have the fiberglas upper windscreen fairings damaged by passengers as they climb in or out while supporting themselves with a hand on the top of the windscreen. I do believe the 2024T3 I used there is stronger and more easily replaceable but, knock on wood, the problem has not arisen yet. Would I do it again? I don't yet know but I have a set of RV8 wings in the shop so I will have to decide at some point. I think the tandam canopies would be somewhat more difficult as the bend radius around the front of the windscreen is more accute.

Dick DeCramer
N500DD RV6
0-320 Hartzell
200 wonderful flight hours
Northfield, MN
 
Two part...

DickDe said:
....... I think the tandam canopies would be somewhat more difficult as the bend radius around the front of the windscreen is more accute.

Dick DeCramer
Click to expand...
But easily solved by making the front, lower fairing in two pieces with an overlapping joint at the center-line. I put a small screw here to hold the canopy onto a metal clip that holds the plexi down in place... before these clips got added to the instruction book... :) Should work the same on a -8 canopy.

I also sealed with proseal.

gil A
 
My friend Steve did the metal ones around the windscreen and across the top on his RV6 and mine also. It really looks good and functions well also. It requires a lot of stretching and shrinking. He was thinking about putting a kit together on these. I wonder how many people would be interested. They are really a work of art.
 
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