Celstar Canopy

The weather and various factors sometimes make it difficult to work on the big pieces, so we then tackle the smaller detail parts that go to make up a scale glider.

The canopy had to be molded and after making a foam/glass plug. I bought some expensive UDI acrylic clear sheet 1mm in thickness for the canopy this cost me R289 per mtr x 600 wide.

Anyway long-story-short our first attempt with Peter and Charl helping to pull this over a plug while I heated with a heat gun failed when the material split just before the final shaping had been reached. Back to the drawing board, and back to my plastic's supplier for some more material. This time I purchased some interlid PVC clear sheet in .5mm thickness and costing R19.40 a mtr x 600. This stuff moulds easily and on the second attempt managed a good quality canopy. Also at this kind of price is easy to make a few and experiment.


The canopy frame is made from some pieces of ply epoxied together on the fuselage for a good fit.












The relacement TV remote came in this packaging and I thought it could be used as an Instrument binnicle for the CELSTAR.











It was duly waxed and a layup of off cuts used to make the shape, it was cut and fitted to the canopy frame which has been beefed up to minimise flex, it has the rounded shape I was after.










It will make a similar replica to the full size instrument binnicle which is rather sparse of instruments.

The canopy tray needs filling, sanding and spraying, then some instrument detail and finally the clear pvc canopy bonded on. The pilot and his seat will be a seperate section fitted into the cockpit.







The wings need sanding and ply root ribs and then a covering of white Oracover.



Cheers for now.