Focus Canopy Painting

[EHaury at aol.com]

Plastic canopy forming involves heat to soften the material sufficiently to 
draw it over a plug for shaping. A black canopy can easily reach the same 
temps in the sun. A large canopy may sag when softened, smaller ones may 
distort due to mounting stresses.

Anyway, a sure fix is to use the stock canopy as a plug. Simply glue the 
flange to a backer board, wax, apply PVA and lay up a fiberglass mold. Use 
the mold to fabricate a glass canopy. I use 2 layers of 3/4 oz, 3 layers 3 oz 
S-glass and a few CF "ribbons" vacuum bagged into the mold. (Bleeder cloth 
and absorbent backing in the bag to minimize resin.) West 205 laminating 
epoxy works well. The glass canopy weighs about one-fourth to one-third that 
of the plastic version and is much less heat sensitive. An easy way to reduce 
weight and not at all as hard as it may seem to do.

Earl
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