On Saturday, Charlotte and I tried bending the aft bows by using some radius cut pieces of oak and large C-clamps. We had the table clamped to the workbench and the canopy clamped to the table.
The force required to make a bend is unbelievable. We started by measuring the distance between the aft bows. We measured 41 5/8" (across the fuselage at the rear of canopy) but we needed 40 3/8" (the distance to be 1/16" inside the fuselage sides at the longerons) to have the bows 1/16" to 1/8" inside the turtledeck skin and hopefully the side bows inside the side skins about 1/16". After a trying to bend both left and right bows, we only had 1/4" decrease in the measurement. That showed us, I think, that we need a longer radiused pieces of oak (to prevent a kink) and some other way to bend the bows together than just the c-clamps. We are considering using a come-a-long (the nylon strap type with a ratchet) to bend both bows at the same time. I'll need to come up with some more oak.
To complicate things, the left aft bow needs to come up 1/8" closer to the top turtle deck skin but also come in at the sides. Each bend causes a change in the other area. Luckily the front bow seems to be OK. Stay tuned!!!
