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Thread: Aero LP Windshield and bubble doors

  1. #11
    Senior Member HighWing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Aero LP Windshield and bubble doors

    I have had one experience with the LP windshield while helping on the Series V that was here for a while. I bought my drills from Tap Plastics and had no trouble there, but the fit was terrible around the spar bends. I had read of the horror stories and we were in a serious sweat while installing it. One thing the instructions caution about is letting the windshield sit on it's own weight. What we did there was lay the windshield on a large plastic garbage can to reducesome of the stretching forces between windshield and skylight portions of the acrylic. I also contacted LP but by email and after surmising a black hole swalled my email was surprized that after a couple of weeks they wrote back. The result was advice that the windshield was likely of an old design as they had improved the plug mold. What we had to do to get it installed was make a couple of fairly complex fiberglass fairings to close out the sort of ugly wing root area and to improve the fit at the door posts, a set of tapered shims that were about a quarter inch thick at the top tapering to nothing at the bottom. I can only imagine the cracks if we had forced the fit at the top sides of the windshield portion. Incidentally, the tech from LP said you could use heat to help, but with the warning that the acrylic has a memory and too much heat would cause it to want to return to a flat sheet.

    I also like the Lexan.
    Lowell
    .

  2. #12
    Senior Member jtpitkin06's Avatar
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    Default Re: Aero LP Windshield and bubble doors

    My experience has been quite different.
    My LP Aeroplastics one-piece windshield/skylight fit perfectly right out of the box. (Delivered October 2010.) I lifted it into position this summer by myself using care to not let it flex in the forward spar area. It settled into position without cracking and required only minor trimming. It has been easy to drill with the proper bits.


    Sorry to hear some builders have a hard time.


    John Pitkin
    Greenville, TX

  3. #13
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    Default Re: Aero LP Windshield and bubble doors

    Here is something to consider if you don't mind a two piece windshield. We had the same problem with a Rans S-6. Two windshields were cracked so the owner decided to skip the one piece problem. A strip of aluminum was drilled and nut plates riveted in so that the turtle deck and front windshield are two separate pieces. The aluminum strip runs at the top of the windshield and well out of eyesight.Each piece is fastened in with screws. This has worked out very well. The aluminum strip is about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide and fits in nicely with the aircraft.
    Another S-6 owner would like us to build one for him in the same manner as he has gone thru 3 windshields due to fuel spilling on the stressed corners of the Lexan and cracking/fretting at the leading edge of the wing.
    Now the windshield on the Rans is a little different and it is Lexan but I believe the same principles would apply and it is not unattractive and certainly cheaper.You don't have to replace the entire thing if one piece cracks.
    Dick
    Excuse me ,I meant the windshield/skylight as two pieces NOT the turtle deck. It's too early and I have not had enough coffee.
    Dick

  4. #14
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    Default Re: Aero LP Windshield and bubble doors

    My experience was exactly the same as John Pitkin's, no problem with install or drilling (done by myself), fit was excellent (only minor trimming). Windshield delivered in Aug 09.

    Dick B

  5. #15
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    Default Re: Aero LP Windshield and bubble doors

    Like I said, I ended up with the the Lexan windshield and I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out. It's all one piece with the skylight. Another great addition was the Lexan turtledeck I bought from Kitfox. It's about 1/8" thick and dark tinted and a big improvement over the old style turtledeck. I used neoprene u-channel all around that gives a nice finished look and will make the cabin less drafty. With the full bubble doors I may have to wear a sombrero but the visibility is fantastic. It would probably be easy enough to buy a sheet of Lexan and do your own and save a few bucks but I'm happy. This was my 1st so I took the easy way. James Thomas
    Last edited by jrthomas; 10-10-2011 at 09:35 AM.

  6. #16
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    Default Re: Aero LP Windshield and bubble doors

    I guess I may as well post my horror story also. The guy I bought my unfinished Kitfox 4 kit from had bought one of these windshields also, it sat in the big cardboard box for about 15 years however. When I went to install it, I had it sitting in place and to reposition it just a bit, I lifted it about an inch on the front bottom left corner. I heard this little "plink" sound. There it was, a crack on the left side where the windshield goes up against the front wing carrythrough. Fortunatly there was the .090 Lexan that came from the factory with the kit, and that is what I made my windshield out of. Maybe my windshield cracked because it was old, but I would never pay for one of these myself. It is not that hard to make a windshield with Lexan. I've done about 6 of them over the years with my Avids and now the Kitfox and none of them broke from handling them. Take care, Jim Chuk

  7. #17
    JohnB's Avatar
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    Default Re: Aero LP Windshield and bubble doors

    Ok, now that I've had some time to cool down I will post my sad windshield story.

    After reading the posts on this forum and the info from LP Aero, I enlisted the help of my wife and briefed her on how we had to handle the windshield without flexing the wing root areas. All was going well and we trimmed the sides at the door frame angles and around the wing roots. Then we carefully lifted the windshield back onto the fuselage to check our work. The fit was looking good, just need to move it a wee bit to align... and heard a loud POP!

    And that's when the swearing started.

    I ended up talking to George at LP Aero and he agreed to send me a new one at a good discount. He admitted that they occasionally crack one handling it at the factory.

    We got the new one and finished fitting it today with no problems. So what did we do differently? Not too much other than being very anal about sanding and smoothing all edges immediately after making every cut and double checking that we have left no tooling marks or nicks that could be a stress riser. I would also advise to be careful and not make any square corners especially in the wing root area. Make nice smooth curves with no sharp corners.

    Then for good measure, take a piece of acrylic and burn it to ashes. Take the ashes and bury them under a full moon at midnight along with a roosters foot.

    Now if anyone needs a slightly cracked windshield to use as an offering to the acrylic gods, let me know.
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    JohnB
    Charlotte, MI
    Kitfox 7-SS
    Rotax 912ULS / Whirlwind Prop
    Garmin G3X Touch

  8. #18
    Senior Member War Eagle's Avatar
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    Talking Re: Aero LP Windshield and bubble doors

    I think I can feel your pain.

    I sweated bullets handling my windshield. I know I was tough on myself about the fit but every time I lifted the windshield off to do some more work on it, I swear I aged a year worrying about cracking it.

    I made it thru the fitting process without a crack but this was one of the most stressful parts about building the plane.

  9. #19

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    Default Re: Aero LP Windshield and bubble doors

    One of the most nervous parts of my RV-4 build was the canopy, I managed to get through without any big problems by following these rules:
    Keep the plexi warm
    I used a couple of car heaters, as live in Sweden they were plentiful. Beware that the plexi will shrink when it cools down so the fit may change if you keep it too warm. Don´t ask me how I know...
    Use a special drip bit
    I made my own, it is easy do to. I don’t remember where I found the information on how to do it but it is available out there on the Internet somewhere. The main difference is to make sure that the drill bit does not cut but instead it should sort of grind away material. If it cuts like an ordinary drill it will crack the plexi, most of the time anyway.

    Use a manual pop-rivet tool
    A pneumatic riveter pulls to hard and fast when setting pop-type rivets. Luckily for me I tried on a scrap piece of plexi first.

    A replacement RV-4 canopy costs something like 800$ plus shipping (about the same). Plus the cost for customs and tax. So I really did´t want to mess up. By the way if you buy a Sonex from overseas it is mandatory to buy a spare canopy. Says something about plexi, I guess.

  10. #20
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    Default Re: Aero LP Windshield and bubble doors

    Ok, I need some info about the hardware for installing the windshield. The build manual says there are flat washers and finishing washers to install. I see part number 91245.000 (plastic washer), part number 91166.000 (Nut, AN364-832) and part number 91118.000 (Screw, AN526-832R10). Nothing else; I presumed the finishing washer was the plastic washer? Also, the instructions manual says nothing about what order to install the hardware. Again, I presume the plastic washer goes on the outside of the windshield, ie. between the windshield and the screw head. Can ya all help me?!
    Last edited by inzersv; 07-23-2016 at 10:03 AM. Reason: No Skype
    Stan Inzer
    912 ULS
    Dynon Skyview 10"
    N599KF

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