Glassing in a Canopy

[TheTank]

Alright fellas... While I am about to start finishing up my latest project, I have decided to glass the canopy into the hatch. What pro builders out there can share their technique for doing it and gettin' it done the right way. I've got a pretty good idea of how to do it, but am always looking for the right way, rather than figuring it out on my own. Help me out!!!

[TheTank]

Anyone.... anyone.... Bueller... Bueller... Bueller...

[Johnny MoJo]

Tank,

I contacted Walt on this very subject for a project I am doing. If you can give me some time, I will cut and paste his reply when I get to work. After his explanation, I feel more comfortable about it than I did before, and think it will be doable.........

Hang tight and I'll get it to ya!

J.

[Patrick H]

Personally I would not do it. Every canopy I have rigidly attached to an airframe has cracked after a few years, I used to glass them all. The only one I glassed to a hatch distorted it a little after a few years.

If you must, drill a small hole on top near the rear for expansion etc.

[Johnny MoJo]

Here ya go Tank:

<JM Wrote>
I have recently gotten my first 35% bird. This is due in large part to you and Tony Russo. I love watching your build threads. I’m pretty much 50/50 on the hobby in that I get as much enjoyment out of building as I do flying. The particular bird I acquired is a Hurley Extra 300. This is the bird that Mike did in MA a number of years ago. While I did not do the frame up, a semi local guy did and the work is pretty good. I could not pass up the deal, and plan to build either a Carden or Dalton once I get done with flying this one for a while.

If you are not familiar with the article, Mike used (I believe) some after-market parts for the glass and the canopy. The builder that started this project already trimmed part of the canopy and the hatch area was not provisioned for an inset canopy like you do on your builds. While getting the canopy attached seems like a pretty straight forward process using your “Goop” method, I am not familiar with the best way to “float” out the seam created by the thickness of the canopy sitting up there on the hatch. My gut tells me that once the canopy is glued on and set, I will need to find a suitable material to float out that transition and blend it in with the hatch. Of course, this will then need to be sealed (Glass cloth and Epoxy) and finished, and finally painted.

I am open to any and all suggestions on materials, sequence steps, tips / tricks etc. to come out with a quality finished product. The method I described above sounds like it will introduce quite a bit of weight and I want to be as light as possible. Would you be willing to help me out? I have attached a few pics for you to look at, but I have plenty more at home and can take any that you might need.

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide and Merry Christmas to you and your family.

<Walt Wrote>
Hi John: To blend in the front of your canopy I would position the canopy in the location you plan to glue it on. Mark the outline of where it sets with a pencil line. Remove the canopy and with a T sander remove some of the material in the front on the deck to allow the canopy to set down in the deck. The butyrate is usually thin enough to allow enough clearance with 1/16th balsa sheeting to set flush. This is kinda tedious but go easy and it'll come in where you want it to set. Sand this area with the leading edge square and feather the rear area of your relief for the lip to set in. You will probably have to relieve the headrest and hatch sides also if your planning to recess the entire canopy. At this point I usually finish out the cockpit, pilot, instrument panel. I leave 1/4 inch of exposed balsa in the area where your adhesive it going to be. I use either Goop or Zap a goo. Glue on the canopy. For bending I use regular lite weight spackle, on the bare hatch to the canopy. The area where the spackle lay's on the canopy go over this area with a scotch brite and remove the canopy shine, it'll stick to this pretty good. Feather sand this all in. Glass over this seam with .55 or .75 oz's cloth using finishing epoxy resin by about 3/8ths of an inch. Mask the canopy to avoid getting a mess on it while glassing. I usually cut fit the fiberglass cloth remove, brush a light coat of epoxy resin on the bare wood to stick down the cloth. With a paper towel or piece of cloth wrapped in a baggy or plastic wrap, pat down the cloth to push it in the resin. Let it set up. Come back over this with a heavier coat of resin to fill the weave, I use a 1 inch fine bristle paint brush. If you do all this in one step I have had trouble distorting the cloth while keeping it positioned where I want it so I glue it down then fill the weave, just make sure its completely stuck down with the first application..After this I use primer and spot putty to finish out the blend in prep for paint...Hope this helps, Regards Walt

<JM Wrote> 2 questions: Since this canopy was cut on already (rough cut) the front is not straight..more rounded really..Should I still try the method you are suggesting for cutting in the relief? Probably just more tedious.

Should I just do the seam or the whole hatch? Or is this whole method based on how you have been doing it where there is only a small amount of area painted and the rest is covering? I’m thinking you mean to glass the whole thing…no?

<Walt Wrote>
Is there a lip on the front of the canopy or does it set directly on the front hatch? If there is no lip I would probably just glue it on directly on covering and not glass it in. I glass the entire hatch to the canopy with it overlapping the canopy 3/8ths if I inlet the canopy for this...Walt

Tank,

There is a lip on mine, so I am going to use the method he describes above. Thanks Walt for the help on this. When I get started, I will post pics. Hope this helps you out.....if I can achieve even half the result Walt does, I will be happy!

J.

[high alpha]

	Quote: Originally Posted by TheTank
	Alright fellas... While I am about to start finishing up my latest project, I have decided to glass the canopy into the hatch. What pro builders out there can share their technique for doing it and gettin' it done the right way. I've got a pretty good idea of how to do it, but am always looking for the right way, rather than figuring it out on my own. Help me out!!!

Albert has some good info posted in the Carden Forum on the "other site".It should answer most of your questions.

Trent

[capcanuck]

Look at my "Radiowave Extra Redo" in this forum as I am glassing in the hatch. I have done this with many planes and never had cracking issues since the glass overlaps the seam.
CapCanuck

[Patrick H]

Never had a problem with the seam cracking, it was glassed. The actual canopy cracked. Maybe its the heat here.

[Radioactive]

guys how about some pictures here..pretty please of the steps.
Big Thks in advance!

[WOODisGOOD]

Matt did a good wright up on his last build. Heres the link http://www.flyinggiants.com/forums/f...-build-11.html

[Johnny MoJo]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Radioactive
	guys how about some pictures here..pretty please of the steps. Big Thks in advance!

Radio,

I plan to do a documentation on mine when I do it, but it will be a while as I have some personal things going on at the moment. Someone else may beat me to it. I also asked Matt (I think) in the Dalton 300 ML thread to document these steps when he got to them and he agreed. From the looks of his build thread, it won't be too terribly long.

J.

[Radioactive]

cool beans ..thks don