ZeppelinIII

I'm posting this for my father.

He has been working on a Sig Skybolt kit and is getting close to finishing it. The question (or questions) relate to attaching the canopy. Does anyone have any thoughts or good ideas on the best way to glue it in place? What called for in the plan is just a very thin joint at the base of the canopy (maybe wind screen is the better term?)


So any thoughts, comments or pictures would be appreciate. Thanks all in advance for the help

DavidAgar

My Feedback: (108)

They make a special glue designed just for gluing canopy's on. It was called RC 56 but I think it is now called Canopy Glue. I also have used 5 minute epoxy with great succees. Just be careful when installing the canopy on the plane. Good Luck Dave

bipeguy03

DavidAgar,

They still make RC 56, I included a link to tower hobbies website.



http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...=++&search3=Go

Kevlar

My Feedback: (47)

Here’s what I do. Works for me, never lost a canopy.

• Cut ½� strips of the fuse covering (or whatever color you like) to lengths of the edges for sides, top, and front.
• Start by overlapping ¼� of the strip on the back of the canopy and tack-seal with iron. This should cover the entire back edge.
• Set your canopy, overlapping the reminder of the ¼� strip on the fuse and tack-seal with iron.
• Now take the cut strips to length and overlap the canopy by ¼� and tack-seal to canopy and fuse. Don’t need super long strips as they tend to wrinkle at extreme angels/corners.

- Just make sure the canopy has a good fit, if it tends to pull/push away from the fuse, you may need larger strips. I have had to replace one strip as it wasn't sealed properly (probably finger oil?). Just make it part of you pre-flight check.

manks7477

I use standard #2 screws. Drill the holes, drop a bit of thin CA in to harden them up a bit, let it dry and drop in the screws. If you want to cover it up after it is easy to do with some strips of covering.

ZeppelinIII

All,

thanks for the ideas, but I'm not sure if those will really work in this case.

DavidAgar - My father has RC-56 (probably about 5 bottles of various ages), but the problem is the very small joint surface area. It is really more of a wind screen than a canopy, so it is only attached at the front base.

Kevlar - I have heard of and seen something similar to your method, and I've been curious to try it. However, I don't think that will really work here either. The entire top of the fuse is a plastic shell that is epoxied to the rest of the fuse and is painted so I don't think that will work either...

I will get a chance to see it next week for Turkey day, so I will either post some pictures of the problem or the solution

- Zep

lakedunmore52

Hi
This is Zep's Dad. I have at least 4 bottles of RC-56, Never had much luck using the stuff. That is why I have my son post this notice to see what other methods people are using. Thank-You in advance for all who respond this post and try and help Me.

yel914

I used RC 56 on my Sig Skybolt and trimmed the outside edge with Automotive pinstriping. It seems solid but has not been flown yet.

iflircaircraft

I used double sided transparent tape on the inside rim of the entire canopy. It was standard width tape but I used only about a 1/8" strip by trimming off the left over from the edge. After I placed it on with the tape I used auto trim tape to seal from the outside. I have been flying this model for 4 years and it never has come loose.


Happy Flying


Tom

bipeguy03

Here is the way I did mine, Asumimg that you are just making a windsheild.

When you cut out the shape of the windsheild leave two small squares on each side euqal distances from the center to the end on the bottom side. make sure the sqaures or large enough to drill a hole for a screw, and do so. then carefully bend the tabs to the REAR of the plane. glue a couple of small hard wod blocks to the inside of the plastic fuse top, and then screw the windsheild down to the fuse. position the windsheild and use two more screws in the corners to hold the shape. finally for a little more of a finished look, run a small bead af RC-56 glue around the joint and smooth it out with your finger.

I did this twice on mine for the front and back, it has about 70 flights on her and it has never even come loose!

BHskybolt

I used a product called Fourmost Canopy trim "http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXG866&P=M". It glues to the plasic windshield and then has a wider bottom to glue to the fuse.. I used ZAP oderless CA to prevent smoking the plastic... Here is a picture of my Skybolt..

lakedunmore52

here is the plane , still thinking about how to attach windshield