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Make a 9A look like a 10 ?

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Dave Stark

Member
Here is another newbie question for you guys. I really like the looks of the 10 and the extra 2 seats would be nice, but after much review and budget calculations I?ve decided on a 9A. So my question is, since the door hinges and latches for the gull wing doors on the 10 should now be available from Vans, has anybody toyed with the idea of building a set of gull wing doors on a 9 and making it a hard top? Living in southern Utah the ground temps can regularly hit the 100s for a couple of months and the extra shade that the hard top could provide would be helpful on the cabin temps and the lower door sill should make ingress and egress easier.

Thanks for your thoughts, you guys are great!!! This forum is one of the main reasons I decided to build an RV. :D
 
It's probably been done by someone, but there is no structure above the cockpit of a 9A where you could mount the gullwing doors. You would have to make the hard top and doors from scratch. To lower the door sills, you would have to cut the main longerons of the 9A fuselage and then cut big holes in the main side skins. I'm not an structural engineer, but I don't think you want do that! :D It would be easier to buy a Koger sun shade for those hot summer days, or perhaps you could paint the top of the canopy if you like the hard top look. I've seen pictures of a 7A with a painted canopy that looked like a hard top, but it was actually a slider.
 
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Painted canopy

Mel Asberry has an RV-6 with a painted tip-up canopy. As for the gull wing doors, it might work but it seems you'd have to have structure both in front and behind the gull wings. Thus, you'd have to combine features of both the slider windshield and the tip-up roll bar. Sounds like a lot of extra work to me.
Don
 
Dave,

100F is 100F with or without the hardtop. The difference in comfort level is not worth the effort of redesigning the RV-9A. Some white paint on top of the glass would cut down direct sun light but it would look guffy. A dark color would make it worse.

My advice is build the -9A as is, get it flying ASAP as you are missing the best part of the process, and buy a large straw hat and good sun glasses. :)
 
Build the 9A, and install one of the folding sunshades available. I prefer these over a painted or "hard top", because a clear canopy is going to let you see a lot more of that southwest scenery in it's full panaramic beauty!

Besides, while on the ground, that fully opened sliding canopy beats a "roof" anyday!

L.Adamson --- from northern Utah, but always goes south
 
David-aviator said:
Some white paint on top of the glass would cut down direct sun light but it would look guffy. :)
Click to expand...

A couple of years ago at LOE I saw a 6 with a painted canopy that looked really great! I don't know if this was Mel's or not, but who ever did this one made it look so good that if you didn't know it was paint you would have thought Van designed the kit that way.
 
That was most likely mine. I have a maroon star and stripes down the sides. Thanks for the kudos. I have been mistaken in the pattern by ATC and called a Glasair.
 
Mel said:
That was most likely mine. I have a maroon star and stripes down the sides. Thanks for the kudos. I have been mistaken in the pattern by ATC and called a Glasair.
Click to expand...


Mel's RV-6 at LOE 2005...


n168tx6ni.jpg
 
Thanks for the input and picture guys. I really like Mel's 6, that's the look I had in mind. :D And Mel if you don't mind when I get to the canopy stage, I'll get with you on the technique you used on painting the plexi, Thanks again
 
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Dave,
The process is real simple. First tape off where you think you want the paint. Go fly and make sure it what you want. Scuff the plexi real good with scotch brite, and paint. Believe it or not I tried several recommended primers (on scrap plexi), all of which peeled right off. I ended up spraying the JetGlo directly onto the canopy and it's been there for almost 14 years.
Call me if you want to talk. 972-784-7544
 
Painted canopy

Last year or the year before at Oshkosh there was a gentleman, from Texas I believe, that had a 7A with a painted canopy. One would have been hard pressed to tell it wasnt a hard top. A beautiful job. I believe it was an award winner. I would attach a photo but I have no idea how.
 
Personnaly, I have never had a need for a visor or painted top. I fly all over, so I am exposed to heat, I just never see the need. I wear a hat & sunnies, and slide the capopy back while on the ground and I'm comfy. Mel's painted canopy looks cool though.
 
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