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Slider Windscreen Gap

pmccoy

pmccoy

Well Known Member
Once again I seem to have an issue with the Sliding Canopy. This time I have a gap on the lower side edges of the windscreen. The gap is about a half inch, as you can see in the photo below;



Vans says to trim this even with the top edge of the forward skin, which I haven't done yet. This might be adding to the gap. They say to use "clips" to hold the windscreen down, but I don't really want to put pressure on the glass to close the 1/2" gap. I was wondering if trimming the forward corners a bit higher would help to close the gap. Here is a photo of where the corner is cut now;



The rest of the windscreen is fitting very well on the forward contours of the fuselage. I am afraid to keep trimming, as that now fits so well. Any thoughts?
 
Pete,
The transition from the windshield lower side edge to the lower front edge should be a very large radius conforming to the forward deck skin. Your photo #2 shows almost a 90 degree corner from side edge to front edge. As you increase the size of the radius, the windshield edge will move closer to the front deck. I had about a 1/4" max gap to close up with the clips and I ended up using about 9 clips along the lower edges.
Steve
 
Peter-

Mine is just like yours and I have a rounded, large radius contour all the way around. I kept trimming back until I became paranoid about trimming away any more just to try to get it a little better. I'm still not sure what I'm going to do, but a couple of options experienced builders have given me:

1. Heat the plexi with a heat gun. Scares me, but I've seen some good results on other peoples (non-RV) plexi.
2. Leave it as is and fair around it.
3. Make a long Z-type clip that will pull it in but distribute the load across a good portion of the edge.
4. Use a couple regular clips to pull it in. (Like you said, it adds some stress, but not necessarily around any of the holes, since the plexi floats under the clips. I've seen a buch of builders will pulled rivets showing just under the glareshield at that location. I suspect they had the same problem.

If you get there before I do, let me know what worked (or didn't :D). Also, I think a posted a similar question about a year ago and got some answers. You might search for that in the archives.

Good luck.
 
Pull in with tabs

I had the same problem. I added one Z shaped tab at the center of the side edge and pulled it in enough (about half way) so that when I filled the area below it with epoxy/flox it was a straight shot down to the side of the fuselage. Looked great when done and there was very little stress on the windshield.

P.S. When I pulled in the side it did lift the front edge slightly and increase the gap maybe 1/16". This was not a problem as I added epoxy/flox fillet around entire edge.
 
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I also have a bigger gap on the right side. After put on the clips, I mixed some micro balloon to fill the gap. Sand the fillings smooth then put on a few layers of fiberglass. I don't really like it that way, but, it works. After painting, it is hard to see this defect.
 
windhield

Pete,
Looking at the pictures you posted mine was about the same. I trimmed my glass where the bottom edge was slightly below the top of steel gusset on the rollbar. I had previously trimmed the glass and the radius matched more of the fuelage radius than what I see on yours. You can take out that straight section with a radius cut matching the fuselage. I attached the glass using a clip pop riveted to the instrument panels attach angle on the sides. These are the angles riveted to the top skin and get screwed to the instrument panel. My gap was about 5/16" which I filled with flox when I made the fillet around the entire windshield radius. It has worked out well with no problems.
Charlie, RV-7, Tucson, AZ
 
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