Which do you think is better to attach a canopy to the fuse? I like the screws idea as it gives me the possibility of removing it for any possible repairs, but I want to make sure there are no big side effects of attaching it with screws.

Definitely screws. When the pilot figure gets sick from your wild aerobatics, and pukes all over the cockpit, you will need to be able to remove the canopy for cleanup.

Seriously, you can mount the canopy with some #2 button head screws (be sure to harden the balsa with a drop of thin C/A once you have the holes drilled). This method will allow you to remove the canopy at will. Even 2-56 canopy glue is difficult to get to release the canopy should you want or need to remove it.

Bill, AMA 4720
WACO Brotherhood #1

I use glue. I've had fuel get into a screwed on one. Realized I'd never had cause to take one back off except for that time. And I'd had to repair them where the plastic had failed around the screws. And a glued on one has a bit more strength, less probability to crimp or fold. You can often lay the model on the canopy and the weight is evenly distributed around the perimeter.....

But both methods work great when you do it right.

Since canopy glue works so easy and foolproof, and take almost no technique to get an excellent fit, and takes less time for me..... I rather glue 'em.

Do you glue right to the monokote? I would think screwing would eventually give little stress fractures around the canopy hole even if predrilling?
Mike

I use screws and then go over the entire edge with colored electrical tape. If you stop by your local ACE hardware you can buy a pack with 5 different colors in it. One is bound to match. Check out the lead edge on the canopy.

Use Goop or Formula 560 Canopy Glue to glue it on and put 3 screws per side to make sure it stays, the 2 come off easy if you need to remove it to put your pilot back in place or for repear.

I do like stickbuilder does and use the #2 buttom head screws they have a clean look.
I have had my pilot figures come loose when I thought they were well glued,I now use goop adhesive to get a good stick down.
Mike a tip a club member gave me was to use a small piece of CA hinge material at the screw holes to reenforce the canopy,another thing I do is use thin CA to strenthen the screw holes in the fuse,then there less likely to back out,I also don't over tighten the screws on the plastic for me snug is fine,and just enough screws to hold the canopy on usually 6-8 button head screws, is what I use

I use plain old silicone (cocking) It holds strong but yet comes off without wrecking your canopy.

Austin

I can't resist. It's spelled "caulking". [8D]

Some canpies have a simulated brace such as the 4* 60 . I made that brace real with a little fiberglass and some very small screws. a couple of small alum angle pieces fastened to the floor and screwed the brace to the angles. the plane is 4 years old now and no problems.

Thanks, My spelling is lacking quite a bit[X(]

Austin

The colored electrical tape over screws sounds like a good plan. Glad I though of that!!

I've used the canope glue for the ones without the need to get under the canope, and I've used screws for those that I did have to get under. But, the ones with the screws, even though I used CA to harden the balsa, seemed to loosten up after a while. I've sort of resorted to backing up the screw holes with a small strip of ply to secure the screw into. I also add a little of the clear calking into the screw hole to try to keep oil contamination out. So far, it's worked.

I have a Seagul Super Star ARF that I am working on. It has a removable pilot's station including the canope, that is held in place with a pair of machine screws and two short lengths of ply underneath that slides in two slots similar to the dowls on the front of bolt-on wings. I may do something about sealing that but I have to get in under the canope to put the thing together. So, I will have to figure that one out.

CGr.

Screws!

Just be sure you know where they are entering the fuselage. Need to be sure they are biting into some wood, and perhaps put some thin CA in the holes to harden the threads in the wood. Be sure the screws don't hit any push rods, linkage tubes, or the antenna tube (if you're still flying 72MHz).

My Edge is tacked on with glue then it has some REALLY good Canopy tape over it. Can someone point me to some of this "Canopy Tape". I really need some.

I think for some of the stuff talked about in this forum that Acarter got it just about right. lol

Screws for me too.

I've had two pilots with serious whiplash needing emergency room care after nose plants.

Plane was OK, the pilot never was the same again... they will not fly any more.

Hope you didn't take that the wrong way! Nothing wrong with your spelling. I'm NOT picking on you. I busted up laughing when I read your post. Made my day. You know, chickens can fly too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I prefer glue . RC560. Scuff the inner edge of the canopy where the glue is to be applied and remove or scuff the covering or paint on the airplane. The resulting glue joint is amazingly strong and the look is clean and fresh.

Interesting, Bill. I would have thought to harden the balsa before drilling instead of after. But I am new to this CA fad and still on my first bottle. :-) So far I am ready to go back to "airplane glue" and titebond.

- Jan

On my first plane with a canopy, a club member told me screws would not hold good enough,
Quote: (itll rip right off in flight)
since then then i have found they hold fine.
most mfg's say to glue with the covering removed for the glue line. but that would look terrible, unless you color the edge.
i used 8 servo screws to mount the canopy on my new cap 232, as i planned to add a pilot later on.
they have held fine, after 20+ flights. i think it looks good too
btw, so far i havent had any fuel get in under canopy, in fact it hasnt hit the canopy at all.

any pilot ideas? my wife suggested a batman figure. im thinking maybe a pilot bust with yellow shirt black buttons.

please post a pic or two of pilots in your planes with your canopy attachment ideas.

It's often better to ask more than just one club member.
Nah, they don't rip off in flight, but a glued canopy is very much stronger and whatever stresses it sees won't be concentrated on the places that've been drilled through the plastic or pinched down by the screws. And a glued on canopy will stand up to everyday handling better. One of the planes in the pictures is almost 2 years old. Guess which. But both work.


They do? You don't have to do that at all. Canopy glue is dead simple to use and if you apply it with a Q-tip you can see it grab wherever it's rubbed. And once the canopy is placed and taped, you easily wipe off any that's squeezed out with a damp paper towel. Easy. Fool proof. Stronger.

Seems The Joker would be more appropriate.

OK

These are over a year old.

nice looking pilots! did you paint them yourself?

The military ones, yeah. The P40 and P47 pilots were done from those awful things World Models sells, the ones that're civilians? or somesuch. You know the ones that come in assorted colors. Like purple with red helmet and yellow goggles or green helmet with purple goggles. Amazingly dumb.

If you look closely, you can just make out the lambs wool collars on two of 'em. That's done with a couple of pipe cleaners. All in keeping with the spirit of standoff scale. And the gunsights are just whimsical. Not done to measurements at all.

The Corsair pilot is one of those excellent, very scale detailed, all flesh colored series that comes in different scales. Unfortunately, they didn't have the right scale for that Corsair, but it's close enough for an ARF.

It's a whole lot easier to do them nowadays, what with the water cleanup paints. My wife hits fabric stores all the time and I pickup $2 bottles of acrylic paints on sale while I'm killing time. She buys. Gets me to drive her.

Thanks for the compliment.