Right inner wing and canopy finished

Finished riveting the skin on the right inner wing.

Then finished the canopy. Used some 1 and 2 mm rubber sheets and cut out pads to be able to fine trim the canopy glass onto the frame. The handle also works OK, could be smoother, but I think that requires a different design. I also found a small crack that I didn't see when the plastic was on. Just stop drilled it, but have to find out how to fix it properly later.

Canopy frame riveted and painted

Canopy, crossover tubing

Fixed the crossover tube on the aft of the canopy.

Canopy screwed on and fits

It's actually on and fits !!! Sort of almost gave up for a while, but eventually it is there. All holes countersunk and threaded. Only need some riveting and priming, and it is ready to go.

I made 4 small drainage holes at the bottom of the frame. Some water is bound to get into those tubes somehow, and it is better to drain it out at once. Also need some spacers here and there.

Canopy frame and screws

Some of the screws go into the steel angle inserts in the frame. I also threaded the steel angles, but these stainless MS screws are not really up to quality to handle this. They will bite between the aluminium and steel and it all ends with the head of the screw being twisted off.

Re-drilled and threaded to M4 standard and used some real industry quality M4 screws instead (made of real steel, and with metric shaped threads). Doing this, and all of a sudden the biting problem was gone. Only had umbraco heads avaiable, but will probably change them later.

Sloooowly, but surely this canopy is finally coming together....

Canopy frame and handle

Had to trim the handle to make it glide smooth. Made the hole for the lock. Also drilled up and threaded the holes in the steel angle tubes.

Canopy frame

Drilling the canopy frame.

Canopy

More canopy work. Step by step.

Canopy

Sometimes I do stupid things because I don't think. Other times I think too much, and end up doing strange and complicated things. This time however, I must have been brain dead. Dirk Verdonck from the Netherlands emailed me and showed how he fixed the canopy using plywood former on the turtle deck. The obvious solution of course. So I made myself a set of formers. I need some other bolts to fasten them. No I can simply adjust the formers so the canopy fits perfectly to the turtle deck, and then fasten the bows afterward.

Canopy and visit from Denmark

Should be towing gliders today, but Mr Winter decided to come back for a visit with some heavy snow. So, back to the canopy. The canopy is much more fiddly than anticipated. My son and I worked all day, and got a few inches further.It would be much easier if the aft edge was made similar to the fwd edge with a defined mating edge (the end of the wind shield, the wind shield bow). It would also be much easier to get it water tight. There are too many variables at once; the fwd edge, the aft edge, and the aft bow, and everything is moving around. It just takes lots of time and fiddling to get it right, and it requires lots of patience.

Sawing that canopy is also very difficult. I tried several fine saws, but it didn't really work well. Then I tried my Dremel with a cutting disk. This seems to kind of cut/melt the plastic, and works OK. It takes some time.

Yesterday we had visitors from Denmark. Bjarne and his wife were visiting Trondheim and came by to look at the Onex. He and several others are completing an Europa they have been building for 20 years. Now he is wondering about building a Onex on his own. They have a very nice web page here. Time will show if he decides on a Onex :-)

Canopy and things

Lots of bits and pieces. Made and mounted brackets for the tiedown hooks. Finished the windshield Airward kit (straps with anchor nuts on the side, and anchor nuts on the front strap). Finished up the "fine tuning" of the wing pin handle and securing mechanism. Started with the canopy which seems rather difficult stuff. Also had a visit from my inspector. I probably also need a third tie down hook for the aft fuselage.

  

Canopy and windshield

Some small trimming around the windshield. Now the canopy can be installed or fitted.