Scratch Building Your Own RC Planes Episode #13 - Canopy Part Two

[@RC-Flyer]

I've been enjoying and learning from this build series, but where is episode #14? I'd sure like to see a canopy pulled!

[@ukandrew]

Where is Canopy Part Three? This and the previous Canopy video is really good. Waiting for the next Canopy instalment and… Nooooo… As you can tell, I really enjoyed the previous canopy videos. Really nicely done. Well explained and very interesting. Would like to see the canopy pulls and then how you fix it to the frame and model. Also the finishing paint and if you paint the canopy edges or how you tackle it. And finally, the maiden flight would be nice. So thats you booked up for the next six weeks😂 Like I said, great videos. Thanks for taking the time to put it all together.

[@clmb2225]

Thank you very much for your very detailed and very informative series. I would still be interested to know how you implemented the interior removal and installation of the electrical components and all the components for the gasoline engine. I am currently building a 2.20 m Piper and am still struggling with the installation of the components. How do I deal with vibrations and possibly with ventilation of the fuselage inside? Also because the carburetor protrudes into the inside of the fuselage and I also had to put a larger exhaust into the inside of the fuselage.

[@jenshaga4256]

Really helpful and well made video! Thanks.

[@mikencrcf6018]

Thank you so much!!!!

[@juliocesarmonsalvo7442]

Excellent

[@greyphantom1000]

Have enjoyed this video series so much. I think your a busy guy, but just wanted to add the every other comment that im hopefull for more. Thank you!

[@halmakenreuther8843]

I found myself using solid wood for making a mold is a lot easier in the long term. Not as easy to get the shape but you save all the epoxying filling and sanding.

[@mysticsmokers3014]

Wow. I can't imagine using wood. That wood be extremely difficult. You still need to fill and smooth the wood grain. The tiniest dimple or scratches show up on the part. You would still need to topcoat and sand a wood blank a couple of times even if you somehow managed to get the carving perfect in shape. If you're not producing perfectly smooth parts, wood may be an option. I work with wood every day. There's no way to produce such a perfect shape and get it smooth to this level with wood without many hours of work. In addition, it would be way outside the skill set of a hobbyist.

[@darkknight90964]

Can i use car body filler on foam ?

[@mysticsmokers3014]

Great question: I've found that some filler eats foam and some does not. Even if it does, it's not bad at all. I coat the foam with a very light coat of epoxy to avoid problems if the filler I have doesn't like foam.

[@hankdurrer5650]

Mike, Can you or do you make canopies for customers? I fly nothing but 42% IMAC aircraft and will I'm sure at some point need a canopy made. Just wondering if this is something you would be interested in doing. I have a fellow competitor/friend who has a Dave Patrick Edge 540 with a canopy which is badly cracked and cannot find anyone who has replacement parts. He would greatly appreciate any assistance. The Edge 540 is also a 42% with a wingspan of 120". Just wondering if you would be interested. Thanks for the continued great videos.

[@mikencrcf6018]

Here's the thing, Hank. Building a canopy of that size would require that I upsize all of my current tooling. As you've seen, that means the box (in this having over 2k holes) the frame and a completely new heater/oven to handle the increased size. It would be a huge expense in time and materials for me just to reach the point for me to begin the mold. I would recommend that he reach out on the large RC forums looking for contacts of guys who are already equipped to handle huge canopies. I could certainly do it, but I suspect the cost would be prohibitive for him as it would surely be for a single pull on my end. Great question, though!!!! I'm sure I'll get many of those questions. I would, of course, entertain making canopies that my current equipment will handle. In those cases, the expense is limited to making the mold. So, the process would still be costly but still worth it for some cases where other options just don't exist.

[@hankdurrer5650]

@@mikencrcf6018 I understand, we have tried and tried but cannot find the right canopy for his plane. Oh, well it didn't hurt to ask. Thanks for the answer so quickly

[@mikencrcf6018]

@Hank Durrer Well, if nothing else, he knows how to do it now. I will add that I had an older Extreme Flight 88 Inch Yak that is long out of service. It's canopy was very similar in shape to the Extra. I took the plastic off the old canopy frame and trimmed the Extra plastic to fit the Yak frame. It was not perfect but if you didn't know better, you'd never know. Perhaps an option worth looking at.

[@sotm2]

Would have been nice if you had used a microphone so we could have heard your friend's words!

[@dirkgrobler2179]

Uncle.....we need an update

[@mysticsmokers3014]

I'm digging out my shop as I type this. You wouldn't recognize it. Everything got piled in there while I built the welding shop. I literally can't see the table saw and every flat surface has stuff stacked on it. Getting motivated to move all this to the storage containers has been tough.

[@dirkgrobler2179]

👌🏻👌🏻👏👏

[@dannysunwantedopinions]

Great content. I’m subscribing because you haven’t ruined the video with obnoxious and annoying music blaring in the background. ❤️

[@mikencrcf6018]

I understand completely. I dont watch instructional videos to be intertained. I watch them to get the information I need to perform a task. I dont like long intros either. I hope you gain something from the series. Thanks for the input. It goes a long way.

[@ThomasBrock74]

How come you Southern folks pronounce on the same way you pronounce own. Dont you realize that its 2 seperate qords meant to be pronounced totalky differently so people do not get confused on what you are saying.. For example say ( Do you own the picture on the wall?)....Those two words on and own shoukd sound totally different but when Southern folk say it you can not telll the difderence.

[@mysticsmokers3014]

If you are joking, I'll laugh and move on. If not, I'll respond more critically: It's hard to believe anyone would be critical in a narrative so heavily littered with typographical errors. Pick your response. 🙂🙂🙂