Brief Description: Canopy - frame side skn & reinforcement kit
Worked through final rivet locations for the canopy forward skin. The problems included the limited area on the weldment side of the splice plate, and avoiding the rivet pattern into the splice plate rivets.
Concluded that a little trimming to straighten the forward edge of the plexi is in order, because the distance from the front edge of the canopy skin is inconsistent.
When I previously positioned and drilled the frame side skins, I simply raised the bottom edge to alignment with the top of the longeron 'deck' surface and by so doing ignored the inability to completely cover the forward end transition to the canopy forward skin (bottom edge at the turn-down). Don't need the top edge of the skin to be THAT high above the side frame. Align top and trim the bottom edge.
Have recently seen convincing displays of SikaFlex used as a plexi adhesive and sealant for the canopy. With the potential to reduce the drilling along the sides, and stress cracks that could occur there, I'm going to investigate further but will probably do that for the sides. The aft edge at the bow will still be drilled and screwed, and the forward edge is firmly held in place by fiberglass and clips.
