This afternoon and evening I finished fabricating the parts for the canopy strutt.
I finished the C-728 and C-725. After carefully looking at the plans, I drilled through the canopy fame to secure the C-725. The instruction say to countersink the frame and part. I elected to countersink the C-725 and dimple the frame. (A number of other builders have installed it this way and it seems like it would be more secure.)
* Wait to tap the C-725 until AFTER you drill through the frame. I think you would probably goof up the threads it you tapped it then drilled through to the frame.
I measured and re-measured the correct location for the C-728. It seems to high. (It seems like the spacers should be even with the top of the rail.) I think it is raised so the strutt doesn't hit the rail.
I test fit everything together and installed the strutts. Just like a zillion other people found... when you install the strutts the canopy is pushed forward and the gap between the front and back canopies GROWS. I had no gap before I installed the strutts and it grew to almost 1/4 of and inch.
After looking things over, I installed the front skin. This pushed everything back to an acceptable range. The front skin and the skin on the canopy catch... so I removed the front skin before I goof it up.
