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Date:  1-14-2019
Number of Hours:  7.00
Manual Reference:  Sec 9; DWG 41-43
Brief Description:  Canopy Frame (WD-640) Adjustments

The Steel Sliding Canopy Frame is welded in a jig, but frame-adjustments will have to be made to fit onto the curved fuselage, roll bar, and aft ‘turtle-deck’ upper skin. The process to bend/fit the frame to the fuselage within 1/16”-1/8” tolerances can be frustrating to say the least. Several builders have placed the frame on the floor then pulled and pushed on the frame in various locations to get the frame to fit perfectly (see first picture). Making a slight bend in one place often causes a change in a totally different location. Another builder method is to make small localized bends by cutting a curve in a 2x4 and clamping onto the frame with C-Clamps. I am trying a little different method and so-far it seems to be working. I clamped the canopy frame onto the fuselage on one side and measured the side-bow every three inches using a straight-edge and a 1/16” piece of aluminum scrap for the required offset (second picture below). Where the bow in the frame didn’t match the bow in the fuselage, I used my thigh as a wedge and bent the frame to match the fuselage. Because there is “spring” in the canopy frame, you have to bend it slightly more than the straightedge indicates, but as long as you are referencing the bends every 3” this seems to be working. Once one side was perfect, I clamped it down and started adjusting the other side. If I needed to pull inward, I used ratcheting hold-down straps and clamped as I progressed from front-to-back. I did need to use a curved 2x4 in one place, but everything else seemed to work OK. The third picture is a shot of the ratcheting hold-down straps. Tomorrow I will start making adjustments to make the canopy frame fit the Roll Bar and the Aft Upper Skin.
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Typical Process for fitting frame

Typical Process for fitting frame

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Straight edge on fuselage bow

Straight edge on fuselage bow

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Ratcheting hold-down straps

Ratcheting hold-down straps

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