Category Archives: Fuselage

Time: 6 Hours

One mode I wanted to do was create some frame side panels like Glenn had done. In the stock configuration as you sit inside the aircraft you have visibility to the frame sides as well as the firnerglass skirts. These panels will cover up this area and will have lightening holes to give it a really clean look. To start I needed to grind down a little bit of the frame as the rib meets the horizontal bar to allow the panel to lay flat. I used my angle grinder to remove this area and smooth it out. I then laid out a rivet pattern and drilled all the holes. I then cut some .025 sheet to the shape of the side. Once a had a rough shape that fit the area I match drilled the holes using the duplicator. I then repeated this process on the opposite side. 

I then marked the final edge lines and removed the panels and trimmed them. I spent a little time cleaning up all the edges and corners after the final edges were done. Then I opened the holes to a #30 size for the final riveting. 

Now I could have just left the panels solid as they sit now but Glenn bought a cool 2 1/4″ hole punch that also puts a raised flange around the hole. This serves to strengthen the hole as well as make it look a lot nicer. So I laid out 10 holes on each of the panels so they looked nice. Then I drilled a 1/2″ hole in the center of all the marks I made for the 10 holes. This hole allows for the punches bolt to go through so it can squeeze the two halfs together. Before I did the panels I tested the process out on a peice of a tape sheet. 

This test also confirmed the way I needed to lay the panel on the punch so that the flange would be bent outboard as you look at it from inside the plane. After 20 minutes of work I had all 20 holes done in both panels. 

I rolled the top and bottom edges to give them just a little cleaner look when I get riveted to the frame. Now I need to do is clean up the edges, prime and paint these and they’ll be ready for riveting. I’m hoping these will just add a cool touch to the canopy frame.

Time: 2 Hours

The canopy skirt comes undrilled, you match the holes in the frame to fiberglass skirt using a hole duplicator. So I used the plans and marked out and drilled all the holes in the frame for the skirts. There are two vertical ribs on the frame that need a special template in order to drill. You use some scrap sheet aluminum and drill the holes using through the template into the frame. That way those holes in the template are an exact match and can then be used on top of the skirt to drill its holes. 

There is a jig in the aft end of the frame where a smaller diameter tube is welded to the larger tube. You have measurements to avoid this area when riveting as it can create cracks. To hep avoid this I created a transition using epoxy and flow. Maybe overkill but it can’t hurt. 

Time: 4 Hours

I didn’t take any photos of this process as it was pretty boring. I cut the canopy closet to the final line with the cutting disc. Then I used a belt sander to remove the rest of the material down to the line giving me a nice straight line. Once that was all done and I cleaned up the mess I grabbed several grades of sand paper and a plexiglass scraper to clean the edges. The scraper has several different shapes allowing you to get the rounded shape you want. After scrapping I used the sandpaper to smooth the edge and remove any nicks I could feel. I ended with 600 grit to make a really smooth surface. After I was happy with the edges I countersunk the 15 “keeper” rivet holes that will temporarily hold the canopy to the frame as you fit the skirts. 

Time: 3 Hours

Now that I had the jig built it was time to get the canopy drilled. First up was to clamp the canopy down to check the fit and alignment. 

I was happy with the fit so far and removed the clamps and the canopy from the frame. I needed to mark the frame for all the hole positions. Before I did that I placed a layer of white electrical tape along the frame where the canopy comes in contact with the frame. What this does is allows me to see right where the canopy touches the frame and that’s where I need to drill. 

Then I carefully laid out the drill marks on the frame/tape. 

With all the marks on the tape I returned the canopy to the frame. As you squeeze the canopy to the frame you can see the thin line that is created between the canopy and tape. 

So now the fun part…drilling this expensive fragile peice of plastic. I grabbed a few new #40 drill bits and my drill and started at the aft end working my way forward on both sides. I drilled through the canopy and into the frame below. These hole will later get enlarged to a #30 hole for the skirt fitting. I clecko’ed every hole as I went along. I just took a deep breathe and took my time. It really wasn’t too bad just stressful. 

Whew another big step on the canopy done. Now I could final trim the canopy since I had the holes drilled. I borrowed Glenn’s canopy cradles, they allow the canopy to rest upside down on the work bench, so that I could trim it. With the canopy removed and placed in the cradle I drew a few 1/4″ around several of the rivet holes. The reason for the 1/4″ holes is that I plan on using, as many builders have, surgical tubing sliced the thickness of the canopy as a shock absorber for the rivets. The rivet will fit inside the tubing and the tubing inside the 1/4″ hole which allows for expansion and contraction reducing the chance of cracks. So now that I have the outline of the final holes I could draw a line, 5/16″ from the hole edge, for the final cut line. 

Next up the last cut and finishing edges. 

Time: 1 Hour
My buddy Glenn has been using a jig he made for his first RV-8 and I decided that it was an awesome idea that made working on the canopy much easier. I ran to Home Depot and picked up the parts I needed and got to building. 
This will allow me to remove the frame from the rollers and put it on the jig and work away from the fuselage at a good height. So now I have a much better work platform to get the canopy to fit the frame.