Instrument Cover & Canopy Bow

Instrument Cover and Canopy Bow installed

Instrument Cover and Canopy Bow installed

Fuselage Preparation for Instrument Cover and Canopy Bow installation

The aft ribs have been removed from the Center Wing to facilitate access . Elevator pushrod visible. Black shot bag is used to counter-balance the fuselage when rotating to angled positions.

Turtle Deck bow after bending

Used the system described in the plans. Fairly easy. The square block has to be a hardwood. Canopy Bow looked similar ... no photo taken.

Louisiana Boys bending bows

Louisiana Boys bending bows

Mylar plan on panel ... during final trimming

Cleco's hold the Instrument Cover and Mylar in place.

Close view of Mylar and Cleco

Guide bar clamped in place on 2-inch portion of the panel

Use of OLFA laminate cutter eliminates distortion caused by tin snips.

Taped tempered piano wire enables curved cuts.

Buy the wire at any hobby shop that supports RC aircraft. Olfa laminate cutter blade has two ends (reversable). I always number the second end so that I don't reverse back to the used end. Tungsten blade is cheap and lasts. I haven't figured out how to sharpen the blade.

Instrument Cover and Canopy Bow - Back Drilling

The Instrument Cover has been trimmed and is ready for back drilling to match the fuselage rail holes.

Instrument Cover and Canopy Bow removed from aircraft after back drilling.

Rudder kit happened to be laying the table. The bow is actually the windshield bow but the plans refer to it as the Forward Canopy Bow ... hopefully it will match the canopy if/when I buy one.

When the panel is attached to the bow, a natural curve is evident.

It lays flat when bow is removed.

The holes in the Mylar don't match up with Bulkhead "B"

I don't care since back drilling will be used.

Flange corners at bend cause an outward dimple.

Dent hard to photograph. I use a 3M grinding/polishing wheel to round off the corners so they don't cause a permanent dent in the Instrument Cover panel.

Crimped edge lays flat

Note: angle flanges on the lower left of the image provide a fuselate-to-wing skin connection in place of the large fairings.

Crimped edge lays flat

Crimped edge lays flat.

Steve Cole's Polished UltraCruiser

Instrument Cover and Canopy Bow ... under view

Used cord to pull flat against Bulkhead "B"

Oshkosh: Dennis Brooks' - Instrument Cover and Canopy Bow