This is for anyone who has a slider type canopy and would like to have (or already has) an intermediate "stop" to keep the canopy from moving further aft when entering/exiting (think -8 solo).
The universal, spring loaded plunger type has a flat mounting face and countersunk holes (for mounting) on the top face. Because of potential interference issues with the slider bearings, the flush head mounting screws must be installed from the inside of the slide rail - so now you also have to deal with the countersunk face and a covering washer & nut on the outside face. But the bigger problem is the face "contact" between the slide rail and the spring loaded plunger - the plunger is flat and the slide rail is curved with a radius of 1 3/16", so the two mating surfaces are not in full contact. Instead the connection acts more like a rigid hinge with the mounting screws being the hinge "pin". This just doesn't work either from an aesthetic or operational perspective.
What I do is take a universal plunger (same as the type currently sold), mount it on a fixture of appropriate diameter, and fill in the contour with an epoxy & glass bead (to maintain joint thickness) mixture that acts as a liquid "shim". On the top face (where the countersunk hole is) I make what I call a "cone" nut and bond it in place to give a fairly smooth surface - certainly better looking than a washer and nut to cover the countersunk hole.
I am in the process of finishing up a batch of 24 if anyone has any interest. They come with NAS8702U1 reduced flush head mounting screws (minimal countersinking required) and a scale drawing of the hole pattern required. If you already have one of the flat faced versions and would like to upgrade the hole pattern is probably the same - but the dimensions are in metric and not the nominal "inch" dimensions we are used to. Even though the hole spacing looks like 1 3/16', it is actually 30 mm (1.181"), and the pilot looks like 3/8" diameter, but really is 10mm (.393") - close, but no cigar ... So just be aware of those differences when installing.
They are available for $20 + shipping if anybody wants one ...
The first pic shows the side view of how the installation looks - shimmed on top & as delivered on the bottom.
The second pic shows the fixture used to make the contour.
HFS
The universal, spring loaded plunger type has a flat mounting face and countersunk holes (for mounting) on the top face. Because of potential interference issues with the slider bearings, the flush head mounting screws must be installed from the inside of the slide rail - so now you also have to deal with the countersunk face and a covering washer & nut on the outside face. But the bigger problem is the face "contact" between the slide rail and the spring loaded plunger - the plunger is flat and the slide rail is curved with a radius of 1 3/16", so the two mating surfaces are not in full contact. Instead the connection acts more like a rigid hinge with the mounting screws being the hinge "pin". This just doesn't work either from an aesthetic or operational perspective.
What I do is take a universal plunger (same as the type currently sold), mount it on a fixture of appropriate diameter, and fill in the contour with an epoxy & glass bead (to maintain joint thickness) mixture that acts as a liquid "shim". On the top face (where the countersunk hole is) I make what I call a "cone" nut and bond it in place to give a fairly smooth surface - certainly better looking than a washer and nut to cover the countersunk hole.
I am in the process of finishing up a batch of 24 if anyone has any interest. They come with NAS8702U1 reduced flush head mounting screws (minimal countersinking required) and a scale drawing of the hole pattern required. If you already have one of the flat faced versions and would like to upgrade the hole pattern is probably the same - but the dimensions are in metric and not the nominal "inch" dimensions we are used to. Even though the hole spacing looks like 1 3/16', it is actually 30 mm (1.181"), and the pilot looks like 3/8" diameter, but really is 10mm (.393") - close, but no cigar ... So just be aware of those differences when installing.
They are available for $20 + shipping if anybody wants one ...
The first pic shows the side view of how the installation looks - shimmed on top & as delivered on the bottom.
The second pic shows the fixture used to make the contour.
HFS
