New Tipup Canopy Latch!
Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:10 am
I'd like to report on a very positive vendor experience! Some months back, there was some excitement over a new canopy latch mechanism for the side-by-side tipup canopy models. Well, I tried to get one, but it switched hands a couple of times. Then my friend Darwin Barrie, down in Arizona, took it on and finished the development to bring it to market. I decided to wait for it and I'm glad I did! I recently received my order from JD Air Parts and this thing is really great! Darwin and Jason are a pleasure to deal with, and they have some other products I'll probably be getting as well.
Here's a link to the product page:
http://www.jdair.com/custom-tip-up-cano ... rv-7-rv-9/
Here's a link to my web page, describing my work on it so far:
http://www.europa.com/~swayze/RV-7A/Fin ... 11113.html
Here are some images:
The plans for the latch have you start by making a template out of some .032 scrap that represents the fuselage skin. You cut openings for the latch pieces, then you fabricate the two angle pieces that hold the latch mechanism. I like the idea of practicing on a template before cutting into the side of my fuselage! Here's the finished assembly on the template:
And here's how the latch looks from the outside. Notice how the parts are perfectly flush. I love this! To open the canopy, you push the "button" on the left in. That releases the lever arm on the right and you pull it toward you just like the standard Vans lever piece.
My next step will be to use the template to drill the holes and mark for the cutouts on the fuselage. This latch is superior in almost every respect to the standard one in the kit. These pieces are water-jet cut and the side surfaces are precision CNC machined. They have kind of a rough finish as they come. But they polish up real nice. You can leave them as is, polish them, paint them, anodize them, whatever you like! This is worth taking a good look at.
Here's a link to the product page:
http://www.jdair.com/custom-tip-up-cano ... rv-7-rv-9/
Here's a link to my web page, describing my work on it so far:
http://www.europa.com/~swayze/RV-7A/Fin ... 11113.html
Here are some images:
The plans for the latch have you start by making a template out of some .032 scrap that represents the fuselage skin. You cut openings for the latch pieces, then you fabricate the two angle pieces that hold the latch mechanism. I like the idea of practicing on a template before cutting into the side of my fuselage! Here's the finished assembly on the template:
And here's how the latch looks from the outside. Notice how the parts are perfectly flush. I love this! To open the canopy, you push the "button" on the left in. That releases the lever arm on the right and you pull it toward you just like the standard Vans lever piece.
My next step will be to use the template to drill the holes and mark for the cutouts on the fuselage. This latch is superior in almost every respect to the standard one in the kit. These pieces are water-jet cut and the side surfaces are precision CNC machined. They have kind of a rough finish as they come. But they polish up real nice. You can leave them as is, polish them, paint them, anodize them, whatever you like! This is worth taking a good look at.