Finish Kit

A final Sikaflex posting seems appropriate. The RV4 canopy as you probably know, hinges from the RHS to shut. This gives a unique canopy sealing problem to the -4, especially in the area behind P2.

Since I had already bonded the plexi to the frame and skirts, with Sikaflex, I wondered if the seal, which also serves to stop the aluminum of the frame and fuselage abrading each other, where they touch, might be a solution. I ended up putting a half inch wide stripe of primer onto the inner face of the canopy, and then a quarter inch wide stripe of Sikaflex onto that, and then shut the canopy for 4 days.


I was naturally concerned that the Sikaflex would stick to the unprimed fuselage, but of course it had not. It had formed a very smooth tight seal however. I am delighted.

If I did it again I would put a 'wall' of soft draft excluder in as a temporary measure, to ensure a clear inner boundary for the Sikaflex to push up against, since it has left a rather poor inner edge ....but that is next time.

There is no reason why a riveted canopy should not use this approach to providing a very tight air seal.

The second picture is simply the same area of the canopy from the outside.