Scott & Tanya Card RV9A build log (N4822C)

Working on the canopy proceeds with straightening the aft canopy frame parts (C-631A). They come out of the press bent in every direction. I worked them with much patience and eventually got them to lay pretty flat on the bench. the center splice plate is drilled to only one side just to kind of keep it there. The other side will be drilled at some point later. I still don’t understand how Van expects you to match drill the other side since there is no access to it.
Next up are the side canopy frame rails. The instructions have 3/4 of a page of text on how they are supposed to fit. The instructions are almost useless here. Drawings are best. I finally figured out how these are supposed to look and just built what looked right :). The side rails did require a little extra muscle to manipulate the curve just a bit to match the fuselage. I found that I had to bend the forward frame upper tab quite a bit to make it match the side rail. I just grabbed it with the pliers and made it fit the side rail. I used a small piece of steel sheet in between the forward skin and the weldaments when drilling to keep from drilling through the skin.
That is where we stand. I’m glad I had time to let all of this sit on my brain last week. There are a lot of non-punched parts coming together here that increases the complexity of what goes where and how. Chugging along, I still have to drill the other side rail to the forward frame (now that I know what I’m doing), take it all apart, rivet the forward frame and rails together, put it all back together, then comes cutting the big plastic bubble.

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

Tanya and I went down to Hondo yesterday to check out the Southwest Regional Fly In. We had a good time checking out all of the airplanes. This time, I was looking at tipup canopies :).

Sorry, no building this past week. Not even an hour. Real work got in the way. Tanya and I are headed to SWRFI this weekend. Next week things should be back to normal.