I started the evening by priming the canopy skirts. They are ready to be finish painted along with the canopy frame when it is far enough along. I also removed all of the clecoes on the canopy and removed the canopy from the frame. I put the canopy bubble on a work table and installed the seats in the airplane. I lifted the canopy frame to remove the corrugated cardboard strips from the longerons. As I lifted the canopy frame it caught on the upper fuselage skin on the right side. It looks like I will need to install a washer on this side to hold the frame out just enough to clear the skin. I put a washer on the left side but I thought the right side had enough clearance. It appears I was wrong. I had Arlene play the role of the non-claustrophobic helper and climb into the cockpit. I clecoed the canopy back in place.
As Arlene held a 2x4 block against the canopy attach angles I match drilled the holes along the top of the skirts through the Plexiglas bubble and through the attach angles. It worked really well and I was able to drill the holes in short order. After clecoing, drilling and removing the clecoes and the canopy bubble she was only trapped for about 10 minutes. It was a pretty hot 10 minutes though. As a reward for her help I got her a large diet coke.
After drilling the canopy and removing the same to free Arlene, I put the canopy back on the frame. I did not install the clecoes this time. I will need to remove the canopy soon enough so I left the clecoes out. I turned my attention to the canopy latch that I started to work on Saturday. I used my newly purchased 8-32 tap to cut threads into the body of the exterior handle. I used the band saw to cut the corners at the front of the handle and used the Scotch Brite wheel to start rounding and shaping the edges.
After a lot of sanding, filing and polishing with the Scotch Brite wheel I have an acceptable exterior handle for the canopy latch.
