Canopy side rails WD-725 forward bend

[storkeye]

So I rested my WD-725-L & R side rails on my tip up fuselage and butted them up against the aft ends of WD-716 as instructed. FWIW I'm planning to sikaflex the canopy to the frame.

The instructions read as follows:

The fwd ends of the Wd-725 canopy side rails may need to be adjusted/modified where they mate to the Wd-716. Squeeze the upper bend with flush sets in a rivet squeezer and then finish the adjustment with a hand seamer. The goal is to get a smooth transition from the Wd-725, rolling inboard to the Wd-716.

I'm pretty sure the area the instructions are referring to is circled in this image of my canopy frame.

I just don't understand what needs to be done here. I've checked other builders logs and it seems some people simply ignore it. I've also searched VAF but no solid answers coming back.

What did other tip-up builders do here? Especially interested if you used sikaflex to bond the canopy.

 

[N890GF]

Here’s a link to my blog. You can see the transition they they’re describing. http://n890gf.com/2022/09/25/canopy-frame-engine-controls/

What I did was rivet as described, then and used a metal bender to hand bend the joint to curve a bit. I also filed the edges so that no shape edge protruded to interfere with the canopy when I laid it down. I used sika and have a more detailed write up also in my blog.

 

[BillL]

Yes, as mentioned, the canopy transition over this area can become a pressure point for rivets or Sikka. Hammer/dolly, files, and two flat sets in a hand squeezer are possible tools. The squeezer is a powerful and helpful tool when shaping the side rail. In place of a metal shrinker/stretcher, you can use the squeezer with flat sets to stretch a flange. Go easy though and keep in mind it is a spot (digital) and you need a lot of spots to make a smooth curve.