This week, I finished tweaking the canopy frame to fit, and started on the plexiglas work. I wasn't sure how I was going to get the aft end bent down, but I found a good suggestion from another builder. I figured out how much I needed to lower it, then removed the canopy frame and put it down on our tile floor. I measured how high the aft end was above the floor, and subtracted the amount I knew I needed to lower it. Then I moved it onto a rug, and turned it outside down. I was able to push down on the aft bow where I needed to bend it. Bend a bit, turn it back over and measure, bend some more, measure again, etc. It took several iterations, but I got it exactly where I wanted it. I had to actually stand on it to get enough force to move it the last little bit.

Then I started trimming the plexiglas. Van supplies two thin cut-off wheels that mount in a drill. They do a great job, but the little pieces of molten plastic go everywhere. The first step was to cut off the flange around the bottom, then I set it on the fuselage to see how much I needed to cut and where. A series of small cuts at the front and the rear gradually let it come down close to the roll bar. Then I taped it in place on the fuselage, gritted my teeth and cut it into two pieces - the fixed wind screen and the sliding canopy. I was worried about this step, but it came out perfectly. Once it was cut into two pieces, the canopy became a lot more flexible, and it was much easier to get it to conform to the canopy frame. I started trimming it along the bottom edge, but I won't get this finished until I get back from my next trip to Wichita (I leave tomorrow).

In the picture the canopy is still covered with a protective layer of plastic, hence the horrible appearance.