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RV-7A rebirthing
- Thread starter kentlik
- Start date
Mmmm... fiberglass/carbon.... makes for a perfect fit...
Aaarrrgghh...Not that I don't like to do layups, I don't, but more work, more time.
Thanks Lars!
Big guns coming in
Got out the big boy per Lars advice and it is infinitely easier to compress. Now, strangely enough, I have an uneven distribution of the compression. I watched it like a hawk and still got it. Whats more is my twist is back! HAhaha, incredible...so, sticking with what I have for compression in the back and going to get the twist back out after I get the front compressed down. The big ratchet strap made it super easy.
This is with varying degrees of compression:
I have a new setup for the twist removal, a bit more clean and refined, sorta.
Got out the big boy per Lars advice and it is infinitely easier to compress. Now, strangely enough, I have an uneven distribution of the compression. I watched it like a hawk and still got it. Whats more is my twist is back! HAhaha, incredible...so, sticking with what I have for compression in the back and going to get the twist back out after I get the front compressed down. The big ratchet strap made it super easy.
This is with varying degrees of compression:
I have a new setup for the twist removal, a bit more clean and refined, sorta.
Meet and talk shop:
Don Brousard, cajuwings, was in town from LA, and we got together for some conversation and a little food. It was a pleasure to meet he and his lovely wife Barbara and chat. As he was or is an A&P IA guy, fly's gulfstreams now, I had him take a look at Vincent my RV-7A project and from his cursory look gave it a thumbs up. Not a detailed look by any stretch, but it helped me feel good about my work thus far.
He has a rebuild going on as well and just finished his slider canopy constrution so we had a lot to talk about. Or rather I had a lot of questions for him!
This really is a great community of folks! You hear that a lot, but it is true.
Build on briothers and sisters!
Don Brousard, cajuwings, was in town from LA, and we got together for some conversation and a little food. It was a pleasure to meet he and his lovely wife Barbara and chat. As he was or is an A&P IA guy, fly's gulfstreams now, I had him take a look at Vincent my RV-7A project and from his cursory look gave it a thumbs up. Not a detailed look by any stretch, but it helped me feel good about my work thus far.
He has a rebuild going on as well and just finished his slider canopy constrution so we had a lot to talk about. Or rather I had a lot of questions for him!
This really is a great community of folks! You hear that a lot, but it is true.
Build on briothers and sisters!
plexi
So I got this out of the storage unit today.
I need more room...Not sure what and where to move what is in the way, but I will figure that out tonight. Most of the stuff laying around in here has a value to some project now or in the future.
The plastic is a bother and I plan on removing it and just covering the canopy in tape for the most part as Cajunwings did.
So I got this out of the storage unit today.
I need more room...Not sure what and where to move what is in the way, but I will figure that out tonight. Most of the stuff laying around in here has a value to some project now or in the future.
The plastic is a bother and I plan on removing it and just covering the canopy in tape for the most part as Cajunwings did.
Let the fun really begin! I'm glad you get to do this first.
Haha! I have really poured over so many blogs and build sites...just now marked the center line with some tech12 from one of my rigging bags. Fancy cordage.
Plexi trimming
Geting ready to trim off some of the canopy. My older son took off with my car and didn't get back until almost too late to cut this as the temp is dropping outside...he is gone again with his little brother so now no one here to help me drag it outside...waa waa waa
Geting ready to trim off some of the canopy. My older son took off with my car and didn't get back until almost too late to cut this as the temp is dropping outside...he is gone again with his little brother so now no one here to help me drag it outside...waa waa waa
Pittsartist
Well Known Member
Geting ready to trim off some of the canopy. My older son took off with my car and didn't get back until almost too late to cut this as the temp is dropping outside...he is gone again with his little brother so now no one here to help me drag it outside...waa waa waa
You might find it's worth screwing a couple of bits of wood to your table to hold the sides of the canopy in - once you cut the flat section excess off at the front they get quite floppy, even more so after the "big cut"
Roger that Pitts!
I have another larger table top to do the cutting on. I realized I needed at least 4' wide and 6' long, so I bought a sheet of 3/4" ply and cut it to size just for the canopy work.
I need some higher temps here in OR now. I have plenty of random rivets to set until then.
Thanks for the tip!
I have another larger table top to do the cutting on. I realized I needed at least 4' wide and 6' long, so I bought a sheet of 3/4" ply and cut it to size just for the canopy work.
I need some higher temps here in OR now. I have plenty of random rivets to set until then.
Thanks for the tip!
minor update
So the weather has been far too cold to cut acrylic. I have since moved to skirting work:
Here are the side skirts:
Put in the last 6111 I think it is, didn't come out as good as the other side...MICRO BONDO!
Have this to deal with, ideas?
Cut the rudder cable fairings a while back
I bought this guy to cut the canopy. I have cut acrylic in the past and a toothed blade is the best way, IMHO, but that is not easily done so will try this. If it doesn't work I will go with the die grinder and Van's cut off tool.
Threw a few dive shot bags in to hold it a little stable
I think today might be a canopy cut day...
So the weather has been far too cold to cut acrylic. I have since moved to skirting work:
Here are the side skirts:
Put in the last 6111 I think it is, didn't come out as good as the other side...MICRO BONDO!
Have this to deal with, ideas?
Cut the rudder cable fairings a while back
I bought this guy to cut the canopy. I have cut acrylic in the past and a toothed blade is the best way, IMHO, but that is not easily done so will try this. If it doesn't work I will go with the die grinder and Van's cut off tool.
Threw a few dive shot bags in to hold it a little stable
I think today might be a canopy cut day...
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Rudder fairings
I didn't get the huevos to cut the canopy again, it was too cold
, so I worked on the rudder farings. Not sure this is how you do it, but another builder used screws and it sounded like a good idea.
I am not sure I have the correct dimple on the fairing but I can always locate the correct one later and fix this.
I didn't get the huevos to cut the canopy again, it was too cold
, so I worked on the rudder farings. Not sure this is how you do it, but another builder used screws and it sounded like a good idea.
I am not sure I have the correct dimple on the fairing but I can always locate the correct one later and fix this.
(snipped)
Have this to deal with, ideas?
Looks like the windscreen glass let go over the top? Rough up the remnants and glass over it. If you use Sika 209D primer on the windscreen acrylic before you start glassing you'll get a much stronger bond with the epoxy.
Thanks for the info! This is part of the fuse that I am working with previous builders holes. The tubing is held by a #8 screw outside of the fairing.
Seems to work ok. I also found that the 3/16 dimple die gave a nice dimple for the screw.
skirts
I have been futzing around with the skirts today a little. I have a flair at the back I need to work out. I think I can redrill the extra set of blocks the canopy frame goes into.
I was using the original's that I thought was good for a preliminary setup but had anticipated drilling a final set. I still have a hint of twist I might try and remove before I
glue the canopy, so slight.
I have been futzing around with the skirts today a little. I have a flair at the back I need to work out. I think I can redrill the extra set of blocks the canopy frame goes into.
I was using the original's that I thought was good for a preliminary setup but had anticipated drilling a final set. I still have a hint of twist I might try and remove before I
glue the canopy, so slight.
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I am still working out the canopy frame. I feel it needs to be just about spot on to make the following work ordinal or measurable. SO...back to tweaking the frame.
I found that my right side leg stub that mates with the roller are about 70 thou' proud, this is going to help out a lot with the teeter problem I have been fighting.
Most likely will make it go away altogether, I hope!
You can see it a bit exaggerated in this pic:
Doing this will actually exacerbate my twist problem, DOH! But, I can deal with that now that I am getting my certification in twist removal haha...
Other than that everything else is a mess...
I found that my right side leg stub that mates with the roller are about 70 thou' proud, this is going to help out a lot with the teeter problem I have been fighting.
Most likely will make it go away altogether, I hope!
You can see it a bit exaggerated in this pic:
Doing this will actually exacerbate my twist problem, DOH! But, I can deal with that now that I am getting my certification in twist removal haha...
Other than that everything else is a mess...
Canopy
I got serious about the canopy finally after several days if not weeks.
In Oregon when the sun comes out you better be quick! Got up to
70 plus, but not 75.
Before:
During:
After:
When did my hair fall out? Do I look like this? Holy Moly!
This little guy works well and is forgiving. The limiting factor was my eyesight in the sun...
I have a lot left to do but it is a start!
I got serious about the canopy finally after several days if not weeks.
In Oregon when the sun comes out you better be quick! Got up to
70 plus, but not 75.
Before:
During:
After:
When did my hair fall out? Do I look like this? Holy Moly!
This little guy works well and is forgiving. The limiting factor was my eyesight in the sun...
I have a lot left to do but it is a start!
Drilled the latch hole
So, I snuck into the garage and drilled the latch hole. Was a bit nerve-racking, but I managed to do it without trouble. I will go with Sika.
Also, I found that my diligently, I thought, placed center line was whopperjawed somtin' fierce! So I suspended a piece of Tech line and let the belly tell me where the center was, seems to have worked well as the side dim's are good. Still many trimmings to do yet as well.
So, I snuck into the garage and drilled the latch hole. Was a bit nerve-racking, but I managed to do it without trouble. I will go with Sika.
Also, I found that my diligently, I thought, placed center line was whopperjawed somtin' fierce! So I suspended a piece of Tech line and let the belly tell me where the center was, seems to have worked well as the side dim's are good. Still many trimmings to do yet as well.
Glad to see you're going strong there Kent! I wonder if anyone out there actually looks forward to doing the canopy?
I wasn't! I have been milking this thing along...a bit here, leave it, come back later or a day or two, look at it. Yep, it's still there! lol.
Haha that's how I felt about deburring wing ribs, all 32 long hours of it.....
Belt sand with 180, worked well, then random orbit hand sander with 220, 320. After I get the final cuts done I will go to 400, no more than that.
Frankly, 320 is probably sufficient but the plans say go finer so I will.
Sika. It seems to be a better solution all around Blain.
There was also a poll posted not long ago on who had developed cracks, significantly lower for sika.
Edges
Sometimes I’m a fan of overkill. Sanding the canopy edges was one of those times. I went up to 400 grit while the work was going on, but after finished up with 600-800-1200. Was not necessary and it took a few extra minutes. FWIW my old canopy was pop riveted on per plans. Large sections were broken out in the noseover, but surprisingly there wasn’t much cracking at the perimeter rivet holes and the edges were left really rough(around 100 grit)
Don Broussard
RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer
Sometimes I’m a fan of overkill. Sanding the canopy edges was one of those times. I went up to 400 grit while the work was going on, but after finished up with 600-800-1200. Was not necessary and it took a few extra minutes. FWIW my old canopy was pop riveted on per plans. Large sections were broken out in the noseover, but surprisingly there wasn’t much cracking at the perimeter rivet holes and the edges were left really rough(around 100 grit)
Don Broussard
RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer
Don, I can see going with a wet sand of 400 for final. I know I will.
Why didn't you just flame polish it! Sheesh..haha
I have another cut to get the final on the rear and figuring the side cuts now...
Hows cockpit treating you? Work-wise that is.
Thanks for looking Don!
Why didn't you just flame polish it! Sheesh..haha
I have another cut to get the final on the rear and figuring the side cuts now...
Hows cockpit treating you? Work-wise that is.
Thanks for looking Don!
The Cut
We can all breathe a sigh of relief now. I was about to post ?JUST CUT IT ALREADY?. Congrats, it is a big step and expensive if it goes badly. Your planning, layout and execution continue to look good.
Don Broussard
RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer
We can all breathe a sigh of relief now. I was about to post ?JUST CUT IT ALREADY?. Congrats, it is a big step and expensive if it goes badly. Your planning, layout and execution continue to look good.
Don Broussard
RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer
Thanks Jeremy! It wasn't all that bad, but I was on a bit of caffeine.
