I'm hoping to do the big cut this week on my RV-7 Slider. The first step is to find the center line, for which the instructions suggest measuring from the canopy base on each side at two different fore-aft locations and then using a straight-edge or string to join the dots. I thought I'd check by using 3 points (at 2', 3' and 5' aft of the front edge of the uncut bubble) and found that they don't in fact lie on a straight line! Further examination suggests that the height of the flange around the base of the bubble (which will soon be cut off) isn't uniform all the way around, and indeed is different on each side. There are however some parallel lines an inch or so above the bottom edge which look like some sort of mold lines and may be more uniform. So my 1st question is whether anyone has any wisdom to add on how you found the center line and whether you used the bubble edge, the mold lines, or something else as your datum.
A second related question is whether these marks on the front and back of the canopy have any significance or accuracy as center demarcations:
The first picture is the forward edge of the bubble and the second one is the aft edge, both approximately in the center. In the second image you can see my slider frame underneath. It looks like these upside-down L-shaped marks ought to mean something, and maybe they are supposed to be denoting the center?
As always, any help is greatly appreciated. I'd hate to drill that canopy handle hole in the wrong place! Thanks very much.
A second related question is whether these marks on the front and back of the canopy have any significance or accuracy as center demarcations:
The first picture is the forward edge of the bubble and the second one is the aft edge, both approximately in the center. In the second image you can see my slider frame underneath. It looks like these upside-down L-shaped marks ought to mean something, and maybe they are supposed to be denoting the center?
As always, any help is greatly appreciated. I'd hate to drill that canopy handle hole in the wrong place! Thanks very much.
