MaJ. Woody

My Feedback: (28)

With the canopy secured over the frame, I used 3M fine line tape to mark the location of the frame on the canopy. I then removed the canopy from the frame and cut it to size using my dremel tool.

MaJ. Woody

My Feedback: (28)

Next I covered the top of the canopy to protect it from scratches as I do the final fitting. As you can see my initial trimming was still too big to fit inside the frame.

MaJ. Woody

My Feedback: (28)

I put the canopy back over the top of the frame and held it in place with rare earth magnets. This is a great tip I picked up from someone in Dave's Thread! I then used a light to roughly mark the outline of the canopy frame on the canopy. After several fittings and trimmings I had a perfect fit of the canopy inside the frame. I then used a pen to trace the exact outline of the frame on the canopy. I then applied 3m fine line tape around that pen line.

MaJ. Woody

My Feedback: (28)

Use a razor and cut the painters tape away following the fine line tape. Once removed you can sand the canopy with 100 grit sandpaper in preparation for gluing.

MaJ. Woody

My Feedback: (28)

Sand the inside of the canopy frame with 100 grit also and be sure to level out the glass tape seams and glue blobs. Clean the frame and canopy with alcohol when complete.    

MaJ. Woody

My Feedback: (28)

Gather up everything you will need for gluing the canopy to the frame. I used Pacer canopy glue, hot water, Q-Tips, paper towel and some plastic safe paint thinner and dozens of rare earth magnets.

MaJ. Woody

My Feedback: (28)

I used a generous amount of glue along the canopy frame. Once in place with the magnets, I spent a considerable amount of time with the hot water, Q-Tips, paper towels and thinner cleaning up the canopy.

MaJ. Woody

My Feedback: (28)

I then mounted the canopy to the fuse and installed the retaining rod. I will let this dry till tomorrow then give the canopy a final detail cleaning and polish. Doing this job sucked!

I am planning to use the stock cockpit pieces as a starting point but adding some extra detail like a scratch built panel, buttons and some other details. I hate this part but like how it looks when its done.

MaJ. Woody

My Feedback: (28)

I marked off the molded cut lines and used a cutoff wheel to roughly trim the cockpit parts.

MaJ. Woody

My Feedback: (28)

I have something different in mind for the panel so I marked off the glare shield and cut the panel out. I traced the outline on some scrap balsa and then mocked up a panel that will serve as a template.

MaJ. Woody

My Feedback: (28)

Using my balsa template I then cut the actual panel out of plastic purchased at the local hobby shop.

MaJ. Woody

My Feedback: (28)

I tacked glued the glare shield in place then spent I spent a lot of time trimming to get all the cockpit parts to fit properly. Once things fit to my liking, I tack glues the panel to the cockpit tub. I used some spot putty to smooth things out a bit.

MaJ. Woody

My Feedback: (28)

Next I did the final shaping of the panel and cockpit tub. Once complete I glassed the two pieces together. The tub and panel are now one unit and slide into the canopy frame together and fit snugly against the previously installed (tacked at this point) glare shield. As you can see from this bottom view that once I permanently glue everything together this will become a one piece affair.

MaJ. Woody

My Feedback: (28)

I fit my pilot to the tub which required some trimming of the tub. I then cut out the included seat and test fit it. I really did not like how this looked so again.....off to build something different.

MaJ. Woody

My Feedback: (28)

Based on some pictures of ejections seats on the internet, I mocked up a fun scale seat using balsa.

MaJ. Woody

My Feedback: (28)

As with the panel, I used these balsa templates and cut the seat parts out of plastic.

MaJ. Woody

My Feedback: (28)

Here are various views comparing my seat to the stock seat.

MaJ. Woody

My Feedback: (28)

Here is what it looks like next to my pilot. I think this is going to look really nice after I add the additional details such as rocket rails, chute details, paint and decals.

MaJ. Woody

My Feedback: (28)

I made a HUD from some plastic Bean purchased for the Hobby Shop and the top of a Futaba servo package.

MaJ. Woody

My Feedback: (28)

After wet sanding the glare shield with 400, I glued the HUD in place. I then masked the areas of the HUD that wont be painted. The glue joints will be hidden by the paint.

MaJ. Woody

My Feedback: (28)

And now a few coats of flat black paint. It hard to believe but I have over 28 hours invested in doing the cockpit and canopy at this point. I know this seems extreme but it takes me hours to design things like the seat and then make the patterns by trial and error.

wblombard

Wow!! Attention to detail is sick! Great Job! Looking forward to see your avionics install, that must be sick.
I'm 2% away from maiden...getting excited and nervous

MaJ. Woody

My Feedback: (28)

Thanks for the compliment! Good luck with the maiden. Please let us know how it goes.

Instructor

My Feedback: (16)

Hi Dom,

Looks like we think alike. Here is a photo of my Turbinator cockpit that I built two years ago.

Larry/Instructor

scoeroo

My Feedback: (9)

That's neat -