Sonex Waiex B, Part 34, why SONEX supply TWO CANOPIES

[@gavinssonexb]

Hi Andy, You have done a really good job on the canopy - Well Done 😃. When I countersunk the holes for the dimpled washers I made sure the countersunk hole was a slightly loose fit on the washer just in case the washer tried to put pressure to open out the hole. Having said that it could have cracked for many reasons and it may just have been fate. It is difficult to gauge how much to tighten those screws especially as you are not supposed to use Loctite on them. I didn't put much pressure on them with a view to monitoring them over the first few hours of flight to see if they would loosen. I think you already know the answer as to whether to fix or start again. If it was me I would start again and keep the original one as a back up. I wouldn't try and use the original as a pattern - Start again from scratch - It won't take long - You know what your doing this time 😊 PS If it makes you feel any better I'm having a bad time with the bottom cowling at the moment. I'm in the process of giving up with plan A and starting again. Glass-fibre matting and resin at the ready to fix my cockup 😧

[@pandyseven]

Hi Gavin, Very similar advice was given by Chris Nash from Sonex, keep this one as a spare and also to dill stop the crack. I was of two minds on how to do the second canopy and was a bit dubious as to use the first one as a template, and as you say the process the second time will be much easier. Chris also when through drill sizes they us, of which will just double check. As far as the oversizing of the holes and keeping the countersunk a bit loose is the advice for Sonex, so that’s what I will do. Keep up the good work and am looking forward to your next video on the cowling.

[@bryancotton7279]

My screws are not very tight, but you should check them periodically too. We found the first loose ones at over 100 hours, and I tend to check them at annual and glance at them occasionally for preflight. It's a bigger deal to crack the canopy as opposed to losing a screw or two.

[@gavinssonexb]

@@bryancotton7279 Again, very good advice 👌 👍 🙂

[@johnjensen2217]

I bet it was a great feeling to be sitting in the cockpit with the canopy closed. You did a really nice job fitting it and I’m sure you can do it again if the crack is not repairable.

[@pandyseven]

Thanks John, I will give "try on-weld" as recommended a go to see if it fixes it.

[@mikhailmerzliakov1022]

Andy, please don't stress yet about that crack on the canopy. Try Weld-on acrylic cement (number 3 or 4). It works for acrylic and even polycarbonate. I would remove the screw where the crack started and apply very little weldon with a syringe applicator just to fill the crack. It is very fluid, should fill the crack easily, dry very fast, form very strong bound. You may try with scrap pieces first.

[@pandyseven]

Hi Mickhail, That sounds promising I will have a look on eBay. I also believe that if the piece did give way both cracks are facing the toward the edge not back toward the screen itself.

[@dan_der_flieger]

Ouch. I only have one canopy, so hopefully you figure out what happened and can discuss it (so I can learn from it). It's only on international orders that Sonex forces you to buy two canopies - I guess because it's such a difficult part to ship on its own. That latch looks really nice, by the way!

[@pandyseven]

I think it was a pressure crack as in the screws either side forced a bit of bubble up on that part so when tightened down it then cracked?

[@therbak4751]

I can't wait to see that thing get off the ground for the first time. Looks good so far! Gj!

[@pandyseven]

You and me both!

[@kyqx]

Sad to see but hang in there and try again. I've no real advice other than to maybe enlarge the holes even more. All of the countersinking "seats" things tight enough in the end. You'll get there soon enough with your determination.

[@pandyseven]

Thanks Kip, It was most certainly was a sad day, but it has and will only make me more determined.

[@bryancotton7279]

Andy, see what Sonex says. Hard to tell from the closeup but I have two observations: 1) you may be able to stop drill those cracks 2) check your countersinks. It looks like the washer is proud of the surface, which would mean you are clamping the plexiglass down with the conical part. Better if the flat part of the washer is bearing the load against the plexiglass.

[@gavinssonexb]

Good advice 👍🙂

[@pandyseven]

Hi Bryan, great tips as usual, and the more I look at the crack the more I see why it happened. Keep up your videos with Adam, they are great to watch both performance of the Sonex, your beautiful countryside, you squeezing in between Adam and the fuselage sides, and more over the static pictures of where you land…as I said some would be fantastic photos for your hanger or man cave

[@gonegliding2966]

Thats a bugger. The way we fix those cracks in glider canopies is stop drilling at the end of the cracks then wicking in thin CA glue. Let it dry overnight, sand it back lightly with various grades and polish. Not hard to do but damn annoying.

[@pandyseven]

I have purchased some CA glue for mu dioramas so will give it a go on the canopy