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I just got my canopy and am getting ready to trim and fit it. I know it goes on perpendicular to it's form but is there a front and back? Is the front where Sonex has put the sticker?

Is there no marking or label indicating the front of the canopy Dana? Did they write anything on the masking tape outline?

I'm fairly certain the front is where the label is, but it's been a while since I fit mine. Hopefully someone else can provide confirmation!

Well I should have unpacked it. I was looking at it in the box and the edges were pressed against the sides of the box. I saw the markings after I unpacked it. Wow do I feel stupid. Thanks.

I found the front and today my brother came over to help cut the canopy. I followed the Sonex video instructions exactly. Everything went very well so far. The canopy is cut down to close forward and aft (needs sanding to final size). The sides are close and will be final trimmed as I get the fore and aft finished.

Now that I've been through a summer with my canopy I'll throw this out there.

The canopy will expand and contract a lot with temperature. DO make sure you oversize the holes for the screws. DO make sure you leave a sufficient gap between the back edge of the canopy and the turtledeck, and between the front edge of the canopy and the windscreen.

My inclination was to make the gaps as small as I could. But in the first summer sunshine it began pressing against the turtledeck and the windscreen, and I had to do some sanding to make the gaps larger.

Don't force anything. I had a perfect canopy going until I tried to force a rivet into a hole that should have been drilled out just a tad more. Then "crack!" I stop drilled the hole, but it is forever a reminder that if I had been just a LITTLE more patient I would have been totally crack free.

Mike Smith
Sonex N439M

What do you consider a sufficient gap...1/16, 1/8, 3/16....?

Thanks for the advise Mike. So far I am keeping around a 1/16" gap forward and aft per the plans. I think the gap will change when I frame it up. I cut the canopy in the sun and it was 100 degrees out. That helped with the cutting. Today was spent trimming and finessing the fit. Next I will assemble the frame and attach the canopy.

Darick wrote:What do you consider a sufficient gap...1/16, 1/8, 3/16....?

I think the 1/16" on the plans is a good start, but just wouldn't go smaller. I tried to go smaller, figuring I was going to make a nice airtight canopy (OK, not really airtight, but I couldn't think of another description). I ended up trimming.

Mike Smith

Word of Caution: the canopy will expand in the sun. I know a gentleman that spent a month getting a perfect tight fit only to close the canopy in the afternoon sun and came back to find a huge crack in the canopy.

John Davis

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