So I'm trying to wrap my head around my next few months of work and have hit a question. I am building a tip-up and using SikaFlex (just received it, so it's new and unopened) to secure the canopy and rear window. Each of those installations is a separate job, I've already done the big cut, the canopy is trimmed and the canopy frame is only a few hours of work away from being ready for attaching the plexi. I haven't yet done everything I want to do in the tailcone and the top skins are still off. So, here's the question...
Can I secure (glue) the rear window inside the aft top skin before riveting that skin to the fuselage (just very well clecoed)? The reason I'd want to do this is so I don't have a multiple month gap between the canopy and the rear window, in which time my sikaflex supplies would get stale. This, of course, suggests that I'll want to remove the rear window/aft top skin from the plane so I can better finish the tailcone items. I'd obviously need to be careful to keep the shape on the skin/window as stable and close to installation shape as possible.
My alternative seems to be putting the canopy on hold and putting my effort into finishing the wiring and other stuff in the tailcone and getting the skins attached. This is probably be at least 2 months work. After that's done, I'd glue the canopy and rear window. My biggest reservation there is the temperature, not sure if Sikaflex is too picky, but my garage will all too soon be unable to get above 12-14C (55-60F) or lower as winter approaches.
Thank you for getting this far in my ramblings. Any thoughts? Is this a really bad idea?
Can I secure (glue) the rear window inside the aft top skin before riveting that skin to the fuselage (just very well clecoed)? The reason I'd want to do this is so I don't have a multiple month gap between the canopy and the rear window, in which time my sikaflex supplies would get stale. This, of course, suggests that I'll want to remove the rear window/aft top skin from the plane so I can better finish the tailcone items. I'd obviously need to be careful to keep the shape on the skin/window as stable and close to installation shape as possible.
My alternative seems to be putting the canopy on hold and putting my effort into finishing the wiring and other stuff in the tailcone and getting the skins attached. This is probably be at least 2 months work. After that's done, I'd glue the canopy and rear window. My biggest reservation there is the temperature, not sure if Sikaflex is too picky, but my garage will all too soon be unable to get above 12-14C (55-60F) or lower as winter approaches.
Thank you for getting this far in my ramblings. Any thoughts? Is this a really bad idea?