After finally deciding not to put a canopy release mechanism on the airplane... I changed my mind. I'm going to have the releae mechanism, but it will operate from behind the panel. That way, when I install and remove the canopy, I'll be able to reach the release handle when the canopy is open.
So, I started constucting the pieces yesterday and continued work today.
- Fabricated the bearing block - Cut the grooves in the release link pieces. (This was the hardest part of the mechanism) - Drill the holes for the pins - Added the nut plates. (Another tricky task. It would have been much easier when BEFORE I installed the channel - Tested everything.
I'm going to order new canopy blocks where the canopy pins hold down the canopy. It says to enlarge existing hole and I think I might have enlarged it too much. (It isn't going to hurt to make new blocks.)
