What technique are you guys using? Attach after covering, or before? What Glues are you using?

LLD

Zap Adhesives 560 Canopy Glue over covering 

depends on the plane but before I cover most of them I like to build a small frame onto the plane about 1/8 high that fits on the inside of the canopy. I use thin balsa for this, wet it with water and ammonia and it bends very well. I cover the plane and then trim around the frame. I paint a trim on the inside of the canopy to hide the frame then I use canopy glue like the 560 huck mentioned. Often the frame isn't needed, the canopy glues work very well on there own, just glue the canopy onto the covered plane and hold it down with masking tape and let sit until it sets up.

It is a Kaos and is covered...This is what I was thinking, but never did it or saw it done...Thought I would ask...

My plan is then to shape a piece of 1/8 balsa to fit the inside of the canopy and follow the form shaping you recommended. Cut away the covering leaving about 1/8" overlap under the plate and epoxy the plate to the bare wood on the fuse. Paint the inside of the canopy and attach (I'll be using Pactra laquer paint)...The canopy glue should seal the balsa plate as well...

Thanks,

LLD

LLD,

That's what I did on my Kaos, i.e. glued a piece of balsa shaped as the inside of the canopy. I glued a piece of black felt on the balsa for appearance and attached the canopy with small (size 0 or 00) screws. Seems to be holding fine and it's been a few years since building my Kaos.

DaveB

I put the frame on before I cover usually. This is how I did my Kaos.

Man I love that yellow and red. Simple but appealing.</p>

Thank you, I'm color blind but see yellow and anything contrasting pretty well. Most of the guys decided the bottom pattern worked out even better then the top. I just broke away from my normal stripes and came up with this, you can see it a lot better then stripes. I lost this plane a few months ago and I'm just starting the build for it's replacement. Another Bridi design.

Hi Gray,
Couldn't getyour underside photo to enlarge but I can see where this pattern might show up well. Looks like various sizes of DVD's. I think you've just helped me decide on the basic colors for my Smith Miniplane. If I ever get it finished!

Works for me?? I just click on the photo and it opens up?? I used up every piece of old covering I had in my shop to cover my Smith. Very odd looking plane!! I can't remember where I got it but it was an unfinished kit, I finished it but I didn't want to put any money into it. I started with an OS .46 and it was a total dog with a lot of nose weight in it. Then I used an OS .70 FS and it gave it a good CG and had gobs of power. Then I gave the plane to a Smith lover. Yellow looks great with any dark contrasting color. I have a little electric plane I just finished in yellow and dark blue, it sticks out very well in any light conditions too. I have another old pattern plane that is painted, yellow and red again with the circles on the bottom. Bad paint and I had bleed flow under the mask, looks ugly on the ground but it sticks out in the air!!

Grey Beard that is sharp Kaos! I like your ideas of the balsa inside as it would be better, I have done several airplanes with just attaching the canopy to the Monokote with no problems after years of flying, it is a pain but i just poke a thousand (give or take) little holes where the canopy attaches and just use RC56 or the 560 same. I think I will do the little attach point as described in the future as it would be easier than my method I am thinking. I have a sweet Kaos 40 (Bridi) built by a friend who died about 8 yrs ago and I still fly it occasionally, makes me look like I know how to land!! has a OS 46 before the AX and is great to fly.

I have attached a number of canopy's the same way you do. Draw the outline of the canopy then pin holes on the inside of the line. That trick works very well, I have had to cut the covering off the plane after a crash to get my canopy off for re-use. My Kaos was pushing 20 years old, that was the fourth covering job after R&R. It's dead now!! I'm building the Bridi Dirty Birdy to replace it. I'm a big Bridi fan and the Kaos has always been a number one plane in my life. I still have a 120 size in my shop. I think I have flown them in every size and they all fly the same, your 40 is the same as my 120, just a bit faster in the roll rate. At the end of any bad day you must fly your Kaos last thing before you go home, it will just make you feel better about yourself!!