Scott & Tanya Card RV9A build log (N4822C)

After doing a couple more minor sanding and filler sessions with microbeads, I decided it was time to start the fiberglass layup. I didn’t put too much effort into a perfect filler contour before glassing. I figure there will be plenty of shaping ahead. Anyway, Tanya helped me a little with the first few strips to go on, then I was on my own for the last few wide strips and peal ply. My biggest fear with this stuff is delamination much later down the road. I guess I’ll get more comfortable with the quality of this layup as I start sanding on it. It should be good to go. Tomorrow I’ll pull off the peal ply to see what we have…

 

  

  

  

 

Yee Haw! Now we’re having fun. I started the process of creating the forward canopy where the Plexiglas and forward top skin merge. The first step is to lay down some electrical tape to mark the edge of the transition. It takes a bit of an artistic hand to get what will hopefully turn out to be a pleasing curve on the finished edge. Then the plexi and aluminum skin get scuffed very well with 60 grit sandpaper. This is a funky operation after spending so much time being careful not to scratch the plexi. Then I mixed up a very thick mixture of epoxy and microbaloons which I loaded into a sandwich bag and cut the corner off of the bag. Obviously, I used this setup like a pastry bag to squirt the epoxy filler into the edge. This worked very well. I wasn’t quite sure how it would come out on the other side (inside) but I just went for it. After I had the filler on, I couldn’t resist climbing in the cockpit to see how the inside came out. It looks great.

This is just the first of a bunch of filling and sanding in this area. After the first bit of filler is dry I’ll sand it a bit and probably do one more round before starting fiberglass layups.

 

  

  

  

  

 

After the project visit this weekend, I was ready to build. I got to work on the gas strut mounts. Fabricating little parts like this is fun. After those were all mounted I put the frame back on the fuselage and hooked up the gas struts. Canopy goes up, canopy comes down. Super duper cool! Ok, so it isn’t rocket science, but it sure felt like a big milestone. I’m still amazed at how much work is going into fitting and making all of this canopy stuff work.

 

  

  

  

  

  

 

A few of us went to Jeff’s place for a little project visit. He is building a RV-7A that is looking great. I was very impressed with his shop A/C setup through the garage door, and the door still operates! I should have done mine that way. Oh, yeah, we came to look at an airplane… Many thanks to Jeff for getting the canopy installed. It was a real kick to operate that perfectly smooth canopy. An inspiration indeed. We talked about every inch of that airplane and some of his R&D projects for the better part of four or five hours. Much fun.

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

I set the canopy on the frame again and marked a line almost 1/4″ forward of the front edge on the top skin. I taped off the line and masked the whole rest of the frame. I scuffed the skin real well and primed it with GP-988 primer. Once the primer was set, I painted it with Rustoleum flat black. It came out looking great. Not too difficult.