Barnstormer Canopy-how to sew?

I have a Classic Air Models TrixterBarnstormer kit which comes with an acetate canopy which must be sewn. I am having a hard time visualizing how one does the sewing. I can't see how the overlap of the acetate goes. Does it lie flat, or does it stick up? I can't tell from the Doug Dalhke MA article.

Thanks

The edges just pinch together to form a sharp ridge.Then prick an even row of holes about an eighth inch or so below the edge.You will find that the needle goes in quite easily.Be neat and do a lock stitch or something that looks decorative.You will enjoy the authentic old timey look. Be very carefull when laying the plane down inverted because the sharp edge will damage easily. Better use a cradle. Enjoy . Keith Varley

LAST EDITED ON Dec-05-04 AT 02:24 PM (CST)
 
HI Keith. When I read "lay down carefully" I thought you meant a "soft" inverted landing, as I am prone to do.

LAST EDITED ON Dec-05-04 AT 02:33 PM (CST)
 
Alan,

I built a Barnstormer from the Model Aviation plans obtained in the 1980's. The canopy was hand sewn with a needle and strong nylon thread such as is used in shoe construction. Just follow kvarley's instructions as posted above.....that is essentially the method I used. I then coated the sewn area with epoxy. It came out strong and looks good too. I tried to duplicate Doug's plane in the magazine article as closely as I could, using his colors and paint scheme......orange and white trim. Instead of a Fox .29 stunt such as Doug used, I installed a Fox .35 stunt, but I have a Fox .29 stunt that I may try one day. The plane is about 17 years old, but still looks and flies as good as when it was first constructed. Great little plane. Check out the picture at:

http://home.cogeco.ca/~controlline/durrill1.shtml

LAST EDITED ON Dec-05-04 AT 02:24 PM (CST)
 
I got tired of doing a baseball stitch, so I decided to sew two on the sewing machine. The sides are sewn together with a ridge at the top. I dabbed a little AC over the thread and when I land upside down, the top is very rigid and the canopy just bends a little. The rudder, however is another story.
Some have succumbed to modern times and use blown canopies, available from SIG, Brodak, etc., but they lose the "look".
Now on the MK2 Barnstormer, with movable flaps et al, it came with the bubble canopy. But it is from the Classic era, if that sort of thing matters to you. Fly OTS.

Wow, I wish I'd asked that question when I was doing my All-American Sr. I gotta remember to ASK instead of just trying something.

First thing I did was try to glue it together with canopy glue. Nope, didn't work. I finally ended up melting that "joint" together with my soldering iron. Worked surprisingly well. Doesn't even look all that bad. Getting the edges to stick down on the airframe, however, was another story entirely...

Tim

Thanks guys!

On mine I used the Kevlar thread, it looks cool!