Canopy Skirt Sand and Install Fasteners

I sanded out the epoxy filler I put on the canopy skirt.  I then drilled out the holes for the 3-each fasteners on each side of the canopy.  I propped  the canopy open so I could reach in and installed the fasteners with a washer and lock nut on the inside.  I will need to do some minor touch-up around the fasteners on the pilot side and at the Plexiglas on the passenger side, then I think I will be finished with the skirt.

Canopy Skirt

While doing the final sanding of the fiberglass canopy skirt I discovered some discrepancies that I did not like.  They were mainly along the edge of the Plexiglas on the pilot side.  There was also a spot just in front of the canopy on the pilot side and a very small delamination  at the pivot point on the pilot side.  As a remedy I put some red vinyl electrical tape along the edge of the skirt at these locations and cleaned everything really well.  I mixed up a small batch of Gorilla epoxy and put in a small amount of black colorant.  Using this mixture I filled in the very small voids along the canopy skirt, in the field and filled in the delamination at the pivot point.  Next week I will use a sanding block to smooth everything out.  I hope I am finally finished with the canopy fiberglass.

Avionic Kit Arrives

The long awaited Avionics Kit (Skyview) has arrived.  I ordered the kit in February.  As has been mentioned before, Van's Aircraft decided to change from the Dynon D180 to the Dynon Skyview.  The decision was driven to a great extent by Garmin.  Part of the avionics package in the RV-12 was the Garmin 396 or 496 GPS.  When Garmin announced last year that they were not going to manufacture these units any longer Van's determined that it would be a good time to re-evaluate the RV-12 avionics and see if a change was in order.  The Skyview incorporates the GPS and transponder so changing to Skyview eliminated the need for these instruments.  The change was accepted by the builders with considerable enthusiasm.  It has taken months to get things redesigned and retooled to make the change.  They began accepting avionics orders again in February.  It has taken 2-½ for me to move up the list far enough to receive my kit.  Now the fun begins.  When I arrived at home this evening I found 2-packages on the front steps.  I set up my work tables in the garage and opened them up.

I opened the boxes and removed, looked at and inventoried the contents.

I didn't take the time to open each hardware bag to count the nuts and bolts, but I did make sure all of the bags, boxes and packages were there.  As usual, Van's does a great job in packing and shipping their product.

Sand Epoxy Resin on Canopy Fiberglass

This evening I used my finish sander to start sanding the last coat of epoxy resin.  I also sanded quite a bit by hand.

 After sanding the surface I removed the red electrical tape and finished sanding the area where the epoxy blends into the aluminum canopy skirt.  After cleaning up the pointed ends of the fiberglass work I had Arlene help me put the canopy back on the fuselage.

Epoxy Resin on Canopy Fiberglass

Last night I applied a coat of resin (colored black) on the interior and exterior of the canopy fiberglass.  I allowed the resin to cure overnight.

This evening I sanded the fiberglass with 150 grit sandpaper using my finish sander and by hand.  I sanded to the top layer of electrical tape along the edge of the canopy.  I then removed the top layer of electrical tape and applied new blue masking tape to cover the Plexiglas.

Next I mixed a new batch of epoxy resin.  This time I did not color it.  I applied a coat to the sanded fiberglass.  I will allow it to cure overnight and maybe sand it with 220 grit sand paper tomorrow evening. 

Trim Fiberglass On Support Arms

   This evening I marked and trimmed the fiberglass on the the canopy support arms.  I was able to remove and reinstall the canopy several times during the process.  I am going to make a small modification to the upper fuselage cover to accommodate the fiberglass when the canopy is in the up position.  I also installed a rubber O ring on the canopy latch shaft as has been suggested by others.