[simpits-tech] Yet another A-4 update...

[Rob Hommel]

Sean

One thought on the frame visibility issue. Remember the A-4 has a rather
pronounced hump in the canopy.
Now that you have built a frame why not go ahead and make a clear "plastic"
canopy you almost have the shape correct. This will return the visibility
and if you make use of the shape of the fore and rear as a guide you will
find that the final shape of the canopy becomes rather self evident. Make
certain of head clearances, low bridges are not supposed to be a cockpit
feature.Create a center bow to make the shape use the MDF to skin it and
then heat shape the "plastic" over the MDF skin. Your buddy who is the whiz
with aluminum will be able to create the fore and aft canopy bows with
little difficulty. Be very careful drilling plastics near the edges they
will want to crack out.

After making the canopy for Genes F15 cockpit I gave real thought to making
the canopy see through in this fashion but after thinking about how I was
going to have to do rear projection onto a surface suspended from the canopy
the weight restrictions started to get me worried. Take a look at how I made
the canopy (http://www.f15sim.com)  to get an idea as how you might proceed.
To get an idea as how easy it is to shape plastic by heat forming look at
how Gene and myself made the right hand glare shield on the same site.

Your A-4 is really starting to look sharp. Why don't you move it closer to
here so we can play with it. Flying an F-15 and a A-4 side by side would be
a thrill.

Keep 'em Flying
Rob Hommel
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sean Galbraith" <sean.g@paradise.net.nz>
To: "Simpits List" <simpits-tech@simpits.org>
Sent: Thursday, August 01, 2002 4:08 AM
Subject: [simpits-tech] Yet another A-4 update...


> After all the advise on canopy framing I decided to go for an MDF frame,
> with fibreglass over that.  SO I started with the framing...
> pictures at:  http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/seang1/A-4/photo5.html
>
> I'm not real happy with how it's going together yet, but once I get some
> steel framing in behind the pivot I might be happier...
>
> It's amazing how much visibility there *isn't* from the A-4, before the
> frame there was heaps!
>
> Sean.
>
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