Wendell Folks RV-8 Project - Page 64.

September 25, 2007:  The fit of the windshield is now the focus of the work sessions with Wendell.

At this point, both the side and bottom edges are being shaped to align with the canopy plexiglass and the curve of the fuselage skin.

His painter stopped by today to tape up the fuselage sides and cowling to represent where the various colors will be placed.  The "flames" was a little joke on Wendell.  He is too conservative to let that happen to his airplane.

The Dremel sanding drum is still the best tool for massaging the plexiglass toward the final shape.

September 26, 2007: The trimming of the windshield has reached the point that the first #40 holes in the plexi are drilled and into the roll bar also.

September 27, 2007:  All the holes in the windshield are now drilled and the #6 spacer washers are there to align the windshield with the canopy when it is properly closed and latched.  I gave Wendell the instructions on how to prep the windshield for the fiberglass work that will bond it to the fuselage and provide the overlap of the sliding canopy.  That actual fiberglass work will not occur until after the canopy skirts are bonded to the canopy frame.   You will understand why when we get to that point in the project.

October 13, 2007:  After two weeks of travel for both Wendell and myself, we get a chance for a work session on his RV-8.  I demonstrated the necessary skills for final preparation of the windshield before the fiberglass work will bond it to the fuselage.  The original #40 holes in the windshield and roll bar were enlarged.  The holes in the plexiglass wind shield were enlarged and countersinked to accept #6 flat head screws.  The holes in the steel roll bar were drilled to #29 and tapped with a 6-32 thread.  Two taps were broken during the process.  Some of the washer stacks and a custom stainless steel spacer are seen below adjacent to the LEFT canopy rail.

Wendell also sanded the area inside the wind shield area to accept a flat black paint.  I demonstrated the correct position to mount the lighted, oil-filled magnetic compass on top of the instrument panel.  This involved moving the amplified GPS antenna in the area around the compass to determine the best point to minimize interaction from the magnets in the GPS antenna.  The magnetic mount XM satellite antenna for the GPS 396 weather data was also determined that it needed to be mounted behind the passenger seat on the deck adjacent to the rear canopy slide rail.  The Garmin 396 came with a USB extension cable that worked out just right for the placement of the XM satellite antenna.