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side skirt gap question

A

alpinelakespilot2000

Well Known Member
One of my side skirts fits perfectly (hugs the fuselage) from front to back. The other side skirt fits really good except for about a 3/32-1/8" gap just aft of the notch/joggle. The gap then tapers to nothing within about 2" forward and aft of the problem area. I've already drilled the C-791 (?) skirt braces and that didn't seem to help much. (Although after the lightening holes and cuts are made in it is so floppy I'm not sure how it could help.) I haven't been able to figure out why the gap exists, because my canopy frame seems to be consistent in its position relative to the fuselage skin. It also doesn't seem to matter whether the skirt is clecoed to the canopy or not, so I don't think shims are the answer.

Does anyone know how I might be able to get this gap to close a little? Perhaps by adding some of the old style RV-6 clips to pull the skirt closer to the canopy frame side bow? Remaking the 791 braces out of thicker/stiffer stock? Any other suggestions? Thanks.
 
Last edited:
Steve,

I attributed my 1/16" side skirt gaps to the fact that the square canopy frame tubes are not exactly parallel to the fuselage. The UHMV rub tape will take out some of the gap.

Thats my story and I'm sticking to it.
Steve
 
gappin??

If you haven't bolted down your top slide yet, try tweaking it over just a touch. I built a 1 piece carbon fiber canopy skirt for mine, and when I was done I still had a tiny gap in the left corner. I was committed with my slide rail, so I shimmed over my canopy frame by notching the slider block and adding 1 washer to skew it over. Closes like a refrigerator door now!!
Hope this helps...
Chris..9A
 
carguy614 said:
If you haven't bolted down your top slide yet, try tweaking it over just a touch. I built a 1 piece carbon fiber canopy skirt for mine, and when I was done I still had a tiny gap in the left corner. I was committed with my slide rail, so I shimmed over my canopy frame by notching the slider block and adding 1 washer to skew it over. Closes like a refrigerator door now!!
Hope this helps...
Chris..9A
Click to expand...
That sounds like a great idea, Chris. I ended up getting the worst of the gap out by the time the skirt braces were installed. Fabricating a better inside canopy skirt on one side helped as well. Still, since one side skirt is a little tighter against the fuse than the other, your shim idea might work to even it all out. Thanks for the idea.
 
If you haven't attached that skirt yet, you might run it in an English Wheel a couple of times, that generally will take it out.
 
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