Fixing Canopies.

[wonwinglo]

Mounting a canopy onto your model can be a daunting task for many,the problem is keeping the cockpit free of marks whilst you are working on it and above all mounting it securely with a suitable adhesive.After a lot of experimenting this is the system that I prefer to use on flying model cockpits,it not only looks neat but the canopy is secure as well,first you need to trim the cockpit carefully to shape,for this use a chinagraph pencil to mark out the cutting lines and a curved pair of nail scissors for the awkward shaped areas,some cockpits can be brittle when cut so start by soaking the canopy in warm water for a few minutes,this will relieve any stress in the moulding and make cutting much easier.Once cut and trimmed to your satisfaction lay into position and secure with some dress making pins,no need to press them too far home just enough to secure the article,now obtain some of the De Luxe materials 'R/C Modellers' adhesive' this is a sticky white based adhesive that will dry clear when dry,above all it will not marr the clear plastic canopy like superglue which should be avoided like the plague on canopies,now run a bead of the adhesive around the joint between canopy and the fuselage,first remove the pins and run your finger around the seam and smooth it out with the adhesive,then allow to dry thoroughly overnight.Next we need to mask off a line at the base of the canopy where the cockpit framing starts,on the real machine this is usually made from alloy and the canopy is either screwed or sometimes rivetted to the framework,so what we are going to do is simulate this frame but use it usefully to further secure the cockpit in place,take some two part car filler and mix up sufficent to do the job,you will need to work quickly as it dries in minutes and do the job outside as this stuff stinks and will go straight through the house ! with a latex glove on your hand dip a finger into the filler and run a line right up to the masked area trying to blend it as smooth as possible to avoid too much sanding later,by doing this a slight ledge will develope which simulates the alloy frame nicely,allow the filler to just tack off and carefully remove the tape,result one very neatly mounted canopy.

If you feel confident then you can simulate the rest of the framework by masking off leaving a narrow line for the frame,as before mix up the filler and skim in-between the tape,allow to part dry and remove as before.

For those that cannot work with fibreglass resin try using pre-mixed cellulose filler,although it dries slower it will do the same job in the end.

Also as a substitute for the De Luxe materials adhesive you could use PVA glue as well.

Best to practise with the scrap material that surrounds the canopy,then you will get the feel of this technique,above all work cleanly and neatly for best results. :goodluck: