Canopy Sides Match-Drilled

Today was a warm and sunny day in Tucson. My sister-in-law was able to make it for our little helper session and everything went smoothly. We started with a briefing about what we wanted to do.


Then we got our 100-pound helper into the plane.


Quickly rearranging the seat cushion and we were good to go.


But wait, somebody is excited! And look at all that head room!


Then I looked my helper in by putting all the clecos back in.


The skirts had to be put back on as they are the drill template for the canopy.


Finally the drilling could start. After my previous crack experience I didn't want to take any chance and used the hand-drill with a new 1/8" plexiglass drill bit, Avery doesn't sell #30 in plexiglass version.


The last hole between the role bar and the canopy frame needed a very slim piece of wood. This one here just fit.


Then Flor, the helper, had to change sides and move over to the passenger side.


And the same procedure repeated on the right side, drill, cleco, drill...



And that was that. While I was freeing our helper by removing all these clecos again, she sat there, and enjoyed the task she had accomplished.


After removing the canopy and finally freeing Flor, the girls went for an extensive chat while I continued the work on the canopy. All the holes had to get opened up to #27. Carefully, as this is where it is likely to crack. I also countersunk the holes in the front bow part of the canopy.



Then I worked on the little plastic blocks that support the canopy frame sideways. They had to get countersunk and I also had to cut of a little edge where it interfered with the roll bar.



Time to cleanup the canopy area and see if the gas struts are still working.


And finally I match-drilled and riveted the little metal tongues that insert into the plastic blocks I just had installed. With those tongues in place, the canopy really sits tightly.


And, no, I did not rivet that black hair in. It was just superficial although it looks like it got caught under the rivet head in the picture. I checked it after seeing it in the pic...
Can you already smell the resin? I can!