Canopy functional system (cont)
After thinking about it, the original idea of running the gold-n-rod in the front and having to cut the service tray and former wasn't a good idea.
I've reversed the 'idea' so the gold-n-rod will now run along the back of the hatch.

pic 1:
I had a couple more problems with the air cylinder:
1) attaching the gold-n-rod to the air cylinder shaft and
2) I figured that the yellow rod (being very thin) would bend when the cylinder pushed on it so I needed to prevent that.
I was able to take some 5/32" ID brass tubing, tap the inside end and screw it onto the threaded end of the air cylinder shaft.
I then soldered a 2-56 coupler from a pull-pull kit into the 5/32" tubing and then I was able to screw the coupler into the yellow rod.
I then used some blue tubing from a sullivan's gold-n-rod (#506) which is the next larger size and push one end of the blue tubing onto the red tubing. The blue tubing keeps the yellow rod from bending and also allows the air cylinder shaft to go inside of it (which is critical).
(it's always nice to have a 'scrap' drawer of parts to give you ideas on resolving problems)

pic 2:
Since the red gold-n-rod in now in the back of the hatch, I had to cut off part of the back of the hatch.
I left about a 1/2" left which doesn't seem to bother the fuses structural integrity.

pic 3:
Here's the 5/32" square brass inner guide reversed so the yellow rod can be screwed to it.

pic 4:
I put a hole in the bottom side of the top hatch to run the gold-n-rod through it and put some of that blue tubing on each side to hold the red tubing in place (as the red tubing must be securely attached close to each end for the yellow tubing to move properly).

pic 5:
I crossed the gold-n-rod over to the bottom of the opposite side of the cockpit to reduce the radius of the gold-n-rod.

pic 6:
I have to make sure the red tube is bent enough to clear the part of the fuse that I cut out in pic 2.

pic 7:
With the air cylinder sticking off the front, bottom of the cockpit, it 'sandwiches' the front service tray so no cutting was needed at that location.

pic 8:
After the front of the hatch pins are inserted into the front, the red tubing clears the new cutout in the back so the hatch will seat properly.

pic 9:
The hatch is latched down.
I used a hand pump which moved the cylinder rod and all seems to work OK so 100 lbs of pressure should have no problems.
I'll probably have to put some air restrictors in the air lines to make the canopy move at a scale speed.
(now all I have to do is the other side and hope everything works with the canopy installed!).