Windscreen/Canopy metal Fairings
My RV6 slider has all metal canopy and windscreen fairings for many small reasons and one big one, I came down with a reaction to epoxy sometimes known as epoxy poisoning. I can tell you that you don't want that but the metal fairings did solve that problem. The fairings were not really that hard to make using posterboard patterns, some bandsawed wood form blocks, and some 5052 half hard .032" aluminum. It does require more time than epoxy and the rivet line will not be water tight so my fairings are bedded in Proseal to keep instruments dry. It all works well and is not really very noticeable from the epoxy fairings, in fact, it has not generated much discussion among RV'ers. I have seen slider canopies which have the fiberglas upper windscreen fairings damaged by passengers as they climb in or out while supporting themselves with a hand on the top of the windscreen. I do believe the 2024T3 I used there is stronger and more easily replaceable but, knock on wood, the problem has not arisen yet. Would I do it again? I don't yet know but I have a set of RV8 wings in the shop so I will have to decide at some point. I think the tandam canopies would be somewhat more difficult as the bend radius around the front of the windscreen is more accute.
Dick DeCramer
N500DD RV6
0-320 Hartzell
200 wonderful flight hours
Northfield, MN