Tip Up: Painting inside of canopy glass over roll bar

[TASEsq]

I’ve noticed on a few RV’s, that paint and dust and grime collect under the aft window between the glass and the roll bar.

I was thinking of painting a strip of interior color (same as the roll bar color) on the inside of the glass to hide this. (and will likely install the window with clear silicone to seal it against dust and water etc - the paint strip will hide this).

Similarly, was thinking of a strip of interior color on the aft edge of the canopy glass, on the inside, from the forward edge of the canopy frame to the aft edge of the glass, which would cover the canopy frame and roll bar.

I like the look of the canopy with no paint on the outside (it has a nice, unbroken reflection).

Has anyone done this? Can anyone share photos to convince me it’s a good idea or otherwise?

 

[TASEsq]

No replies in 24 hours - maybe this is a bad idea

 

[Richard Connell]

I’d be wary of how the paint may react to the plexiglass over time (if not immediately) As a minimum I’d do a test on some canopy offcuts.

 

[TASEsq]

I’d be wary of how the paint may react to the plexiglass over time (if not immediately) As a minimum I’d do a test on some canopy offcuts.

Thanks Richard,

It’s a common thing to paint inside the rear window to cover the sealant (as far as I can understand) - I’m also using waterborne, not solvent paint, but your idea is solid. I have a piece of broken canopy - good idea to do a test.

 

[bardample]

If its any help, When I used Sikaflex 10 years ago to attach my canopy in my Rv7 a slider, I also used the black 'primer' to paint the area of the plexiglass that was to be overlaid with fibreglass at the forward edge. This black coating was to not have the white color of the glass visible from inside the cabin. This has been fine for 10 years, so you may consider the as an option. As you will be aware to do this you need to abraid the plexiglass, clean with the sika cleaner, and have the area well taped off from the rest of the plexiglass. The black sika primer / bond liquid is very runny and if gets on to unwanted areas, it will be impossible to remove. Jeff R Mansfield Aus

 

[g zero]

I used Sika Primer on the inside of the Canopy.
Been flying for 10 years and still looks good .

 

[Mel]

I’d be wary of how the paint may react to the plexiglass over time (if not immediately) As a minimum I’d do a test on some canopy offcuts.

I painted the top of my -6 canopy in 1993 and it still looked like new when I sold it more than 25 years later. After a lot of experimenting with primers, I found that scuffing and painting the plexiglas directly (no primer) with JetGlo was the answer.

 

[skelrad]

If its any help, When I used Sikaflex 10 years ago to attach my canopy in my Rv7 a slider, I also used the black 'primer' to paint the area of the plexiglass that was to be overlaid with fibreglass at the forward edge. This black coating was to not have the white color of the glass visible from inside the cabin. This has been fine for 10 years, so you may consider the as an option. As you will be aware to do this you need to abraid the plexiglass, clean with the sika cleaner, and have the area well taped off from the rest of the plexiglass. The black sika primer / bond liquid is very runny and if gets on to unwanted areas, it will be impossible to remove. Jeff R Mansfield Aus

Do you mean you used the primer on the outside of the canopy directly under the fiberglass? I can see how that would give a really nice look from the inside. If that's what you did, what did you do to prep the area for the fiberglass? Scuff, prime, then fiberglass, or prime first then scuff?

 

[bardample]

Do you mean you used the primer on the outside of the canopy directly under the fiberglass? I can see how that would give a really nice look from the inside. If that's what you did, what did you do to prep the area for the fiberglass? Scuff, prime, then fiberglass, or prime first then scuff?

Yes, sika prima on outside. Prep was as you say some scuffing first ,clean with sika cleaner, then sika primer. Meticulous taping of boundary to prevent the primer weeping out side my borders. Yes, from the cabin, inside it obscures the fibreglass and looks fine. It works for me. I'm building again and will do same soon.

 

[TASEsq]

It’s do or die time. I did a test by scuffing some scrap window, then cleaning with iso and spraying with my cockpit color. I think it looks good and no reactions after a couple of weeks.

I’m at the point where I am about to rivet the canopy side skins - so if I’m going to paint inside the canopy and/or window, it needs to be now.

To help make the decision, I marked using tape on the inside of the canopy and aft window an evenly spaced stripe, which is centered on the roll bar. I reckon it will look good in the cockpit color on the inside?

It will hide the gap between the canopy frame and the roll bar which you can normally see through the plexi. In case of any rubbing, I’ve got some thin 3m paint protection film I will apply to the inside of the canopy, on top of the paint (it will be between the paint on the canopy and the roll bar.

What do you all reckon? (Use your imagination - the blue will be boulder grey, like the scrap sample)

 

[Jetmart]

Great Idea, Wish I had done mine, I did the rear window around the fuselage and very happy that I did.

 

[Nova RV]

I painted the inside of the back window to cover the area with the sealant and also painted the outside along the roll bar to cover that area up.

 

[TASEsq]

Done! 5 hours of effort but I think came out well.

 

[TASEsq]

Haven’t got the canopy on the aeroplane as yet, to see how it looks with the rear window, but I think it looks pretty nice. I added some 3M paint protection film on the inside surface to help protect the paint from any rubbing on the roll bar etc.