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Canopy finished - how to open it?

J

jay.pearlman

Well Known Member
As you may have seen recently, the canopy is on the airplane looking great - a sliding canopy on an A model. When I went open it, I figured I missed a step somewhere in the instructions. From the inside I use the handle and it opens fine (well a little stiff). From the outside when it is closed, I don't have the same position and leverage on the front handle when I stand alongside the fuselage and the rear skirt is tight to the skin to grip. I put a small bracket at the rear of the side skirt. When I pull it rearwards, the canopy on that side moves a little, but there is no uniform backward motion - which is obviously needed to open the canopy. What have people done? handles or?
 
I put a drawer pull (handle) on the centerline just in front of the rear skirt, but I have a 7 and it sits a little lower in back than an A, so it is pretty easy to get a hand on both the canopy latch and the handle at the same time.

BTW, my biggest problem came in trying to free the canopy from under the newly laid fiberglass when I was finished doing the canopy roll bar fairing. I didn't have the handle on at that point. The only way I could get the canopy open took three people: two pushing up at the rear of the side skirts on either side, and me coaxing the plexi from under the fiberglass (despite packing tape and wax pretreatment!!)
 
lift points.....

stevemcgirr said:
I put a drawer pull (handle) on the centerline just in front of the rear skirt, but I have a 7 and it sits a little lower in back than an A, so it is pretty easy to get a hand on both the canopy latch and the handle at the same time.)
Click to expand...

yeah, ditto....the builder put a nice stainless drawer pull on the centreline on the rear skirt. It's actually a nice grab as your lowering yourself down from the airstep if you have something heavy in your other hand.

I usually stand with one foot on the wingwalk, one on the step, and rest my right forearm on the rear deck behind the canopy skirt. I find if I grab the handle, and torque up - and back, I can usually unseat the canopy and overcome the gravity...or snap my wrist trying!
I always wondered if a slightly different profile to the rear canopy slider track would make it easier to execute this manouever????...so you're not going straight up at first???? I don't have the side skirt lift, but on some hot days, my canopy has decided to weld itself shut, so rather than pound on the skirt with my fist, a little lift point or hole might be an asset also!!! :)
 
Just yesterday I finished my canopy, and I used a single drawer pull (knob) in this location as well. Works great.
 
Don't do too much yet. It will likely loosen up over time. If your problem is mostly getting movement started, maybe drill out the holes a bit in the delrin block that holds the pins at the rear of the slider frame. That's where most of the friction usually is.
 
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Another option that works well for gaining leverage on the sliding canopy is to make a small tab that attaches to the top row of rivets at the rear of the side skirts on each side of the canopy. This can be made out of a short piece of aluminum angle. When I made mine for my 9A, I angled the front back at about 45 degrees and then drilled a sizable hole in the top rear of the angle. This makes it a bit easier for me to give my fingers a bit more gripping leverage. Total length is around 2.75 inches. Your choice on length and degree of sweep. It is sturdy and blends in well with the plane. Just another option to consider.

Steve Koziol
300+ hours
O320 and Catto 3 Blade
 
CANOPY TABS FOR OPENING

This is what I did and so far it is working really well. Pull up and back at the same time from the step and wing walk area. I think this is what Steve is talking about. I also put a small tab on the side of the skirt on the pilots side. Grab the top ring with your right hand and the side tab with your left hand. Lifts open easly.

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IMG_0007.JPG
 
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try this first!

My 8 was stiff also when opening from the outside handle. I tried putting some boelube in the hole in the delrin and on the pin that goes in it. problem solved!! that boelube is some gooood stuff. hope this helps you.

bird
 
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