The canopy frame as shipped needs to be tweaked a bit to exactly fit the contours of the fuselage. After some thought and a talk with another RV-8 builder in the area I arrived at the approach shown below. I clamped the frame upside down on my bench with some wooden blocks so the paint wouldn't be damaged and then bent the steel frame at some strategic locations around the weldment. I have decided that bending frames like this is a black art. When you bend or twist it a little at one location it may move at another. Anyway, I am close at this point but it's not perfect.
After Oshkosh I have to decided if I can get the skirt rails to match the fuselage sides any better. I am afraid if the rails aren't really close the canopy skirt might not fit just right. How close is close enough?
