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Has anyone used an alternate means to attach the B canopy to the frame rather than drilling and tapping the frame? I thought of using longer screws and nuts but the the inside surface of the frame is at a pretty good angle to the surface of the canopy itself.

I messed up one hole real good by breaking a tap off in it, so I ended up using a longer screw and nut. The tapped holes are nice and clean but it was a pain getting all the screws to line up without cross threading even though I was careful placing the holes. I don't see why you couldn't use a screw and nut, it's just a little more hardware.

I used screws and nuts for the canopy. The hollow bows seemed an impractical material to tap, as there is hardly any material for the screws to hold onto. I figured with all the in and out of the screws during fitting, I'd just end up stripping the holes. The screws and nuts were much easier to work with.

http://www.mykitlog.com/users/display_l ... 8038&row=2
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The forward windscreen bow is solid aluminum, so I did tap those holes.

mike.smith wrote:I used screws and nuts for the canopy. The hollow bows seemed an impractical material to tap, as there is hardly any material for the screws to hold onto. I figured with all the in and out of the screws during fitting, I'd just end up stripping the holes. The screws and nuts were much easier to work with.

Although not a B model, this is exactly what I'll be doing with mine since I have to replace both canopy hoops. 100% Agree.

I've broken multiple taps on the job, always a pain to extract or drill through, prefer to not do so on the airplane.

When it comes to tapping small holes this tool is very handy. Rather than using a normal tap handle, instead make a small "tap disk". Just a disk of aluminum drilled to fit the tap shank and a set screw from the edge to lock it in place. With this tool you have better control of the torque applied to the tap and less chance of accidentally applying side loads and snapping the tap.

radfordc wrote:When it comes to tapping small holes this tool is very handy. Rather than using a normal tap handle, instead make a small "tap disk". Just a disk of aluminum drilled to fit the tap shank and a set screw from the edge to lock it in place. With this tool you have better control of the torque applied to the tap and less chance of accidentally applying side loads and snapping the tap.

Awesome!

Come to think of it, I use a similar tool for the small easily stripped hardware on motorcycle carbs. Guess I just needed help putting 2 and 2 together... Thanks!

Has anyone found a safe threadlocker to use on the canopy screws?

peter

I don't remember if it was on the podcast or in Mike Smith's video, but I recall somebody using silicone gasket sealant instead. Like Permatex Ultra Black. Could be wrong, but that shouldn't react with the canopy material and may provide a minute bit of vibration dampening.

The other option is to drill the holes all the way through and use nylocks. Also in Mike Smith's video. Most likely what I'll be doing when I replace my canopy bows.


https://youtu.be/Lbgek8-X14o

Pretty sure I used a tiny dab of red RTV. I've seen others mention black RTV. Several hundred hours later and they're all still in place.

pfhoeycfi wrote:Has anyone found a safe threadlocker to use on the canopy screws?

I've always used a small dab of epoxy applied with the tip of a toothpick to secure canopy screws. I like the very small tubes of two part epoxy commonly found at discount stores or hardware stores. This type of epoxy is low strength and somewhat brittle, which allows it to still be removed if needed (it fractures and chips out cleanly, unlike structural epoxy that just never lets go!). I pick up a new tube at Harbor Freight for $1, mix up small batches to do a few screws at a time, and then when I'm done with the job throw out the remainder (it won't keep long anyway). Works really well, easy to use, and inexpensive.

Jeff