On the rails!

Part of the fuselage repairs included the rebuild of the canopy track rails that run along side of the cockpit top frame sill.

My Libelle's tracks were chipped and worn down. I was concerned on finding a workable method to achieve the look of the originals.

I decided to try a test on one side, and not completely down the sill.

I used the aluminum duct tape and burnished the tape along the sill and up the edge of the remaining rail. The tape, when handled carefully, makes a straight, flat edge for the resin paste to sit on.

Next, I rotated the fuselage on it's side so the epoxy resin would stay along the old rail edge

Using epoxy mixed with my favorite material (cotton flock), I troweled in the mixture, carefully along the side of the old rail, and feathered the edge into the tape.  


After the resin cured, and I removed the tape, and I found that this method would work.

I was ready to do a full side.

The setup for the right side of the fuselage cockpit sill was the same as I did with the test side.

Next, I used the same mixture and troweled it down the full side.

When the resin cured, I removed the tape and started the clean up with a heavy grit sand paper.

To ensure that I removed the correct amount of waste, I measured the depth of the groove in the canopy frame and made a depth gauge.

I then used a finer grade of sand paper to even out the new rail to the correct shape and height. The gauge verified the correct height of the rail.

The new rail will need some light filling, but for the most part, they are finished!









The sill needs some additional cleanup before the final paint job.

It's time to start putting eveything back into this bird!