To maintain 5/8 inch gap between sub panel and forward canopy frame and to prevent the canopy skin from krinkling as it catches on the forward fuselage skin whenever the canopy gets opened, I fabricated these canopy frame stops from some surplus 1/8 inch angle. I bent the vertical part of the angle to match the 7 degree slant of the sub panel and canopy frame. Used the tooling hole of the sub panel to start a 1/4 inch hole through it and then through the clecoed-on angle. That done, I used a unibit to enlarge and walk the hole upwards on the sub panel hole to hold a snap bushing. Probably not needed, but easier to do now and avoid any potential chafing of the bolt and sub panel. Used furniture connection hardware from Lowe's Aviation hardware aisle with some 1/4 inch star washer fastening nuts to secure everything at the proper dimension. Now, when the canopy gets closed while in use, the lift struts cannot force the canopy forward and ultimately bind up the two skins where they meet. Used AN470 AD4-8 rivets to mount the 1/8 inch angle to the longeron and a tab of the bulkhead beneath the longeron. Had to leave enough room to buck the forward skin rivets in front of the angle. At that time you can remove the stop bolt and get your bucking bar in there, set the rivets and reinstall the bolt and stop nuts. Sounds confusing but its really simple.
Pilot side. Note the matching angle to the canopy frame.
Co Pilot side. The furniture bolts have dead flat heads to match up to frame skin perfectly.
Top down on Co Pilot side. Scrap angle had weird cut on it but had to use it. It's good.
