There have been a few threads here and elsewhere asking about how the installation of the greenhouse panel, the headliner, and the exterior fabric should be coordinated. I'm at that point in my project so it seemed like a good idea to take photos along the way and post them here as a guide for future rebuilder/restorers.
First up is to get the top of the cabin ready by installing the wooden framework. In the photos you'll see new ACA parts. It might be smarter to start with regular non-locking nuts since there is a lot of assembly and disassembly in the process of fitting and drilling new parts. The nuts can be replaced at the end with nylon locking nuts.
Get the frame all lined up and held in place with spring clamps then match drill the wood through the steel tabs on the fuselage. Bolt it all up and give yourself a pat on the back.
They drop right in although it's important to make sure the rear corner of the front parts lines up with the front corner of the rear parts. Here is that joint on the left side.
The greenhouse panel is held in place at the front by being slipped under an aluminum bracket. At the rear it is screwed into another aluminum bracket. Along the sides, fabric tape is attached to the panel and then folded over the corner to be hidden by the wing root fairings. Another piece of fabric tape attaches along the rear edge to seal it along the rear bracket.
It's easier to start with the rear bracket since it is installed by itself and only has to be installed flush with the rear cabin wood. Attach it at the center and then bend or adjust it as necessary so that the panel will come over the wood and sit flat on the little seat where it is bolted to the part.
The front bracket is sandwiched between the front windshield attach bracket and the front cabin frame wood. The windshield attach bracket has to be fitted first. Here's what it looks like
The alignment of the front parts should establish a flat transition from the surface of the windshield into the greenhouse panel but the windshield goes over its bracket and the greenhouse panel goes under its bracket. This explains the step you'll see in the photos. Here are the two front brackets and a photo of how they are oriented to create that step.
The parts are slightly different but this is the front area of a late 60's Citabria
First fit and install the windshield attach bracket. It comes from the factory with the five holes already drilled. You may have to adjust the curvature of the bracket to make it fit correctly. The photos show the initial fitting and then the improved fitting. The parts will flex a little so they can be made to fit perfectly once they're clamped into place.
The purpose of fitting the front bracket by itself is to get the placement correctly but to also match drill the holes through the wood. With that done you can get started with the front greenhouse bracket. I copied how @Chuck Schweiss mounted his, with a spacer to create the correct gap for the greenhouse panel to slide into. My spacer was 3/16" thick.
3/16" might seem like a lot for the greenhouse panel that is just under 1/8" thick but keep in mind there will be two layers of headliner wrapped over the top of the cabin frame which will be under the greenhouse panel so there needs to be enough room while also making for a snug fit. A layer of thin rubber or foam could be used as a gasket too to keep the greenhouse from shifting around.
Lay the spacer into place and then center and clamp the greenhouse bracket into place.
Use the holes that were drilled into the front of the cabin frame when you fit the windshield bracket and drill forward into the front greenhouse bracket as you get the alignment perfect.
When it's done you should have the correct placement of the windshield attach bracket and a nice gap for the greenhouse panel to slip into. This will all come apart when the headliner is being installed which will be explained in the next post.
First up is to get the top of the cabin ready by installing the wooden framework. In the photos you'll see new ACA parts. It might be smarter to start with regular non-locking nuts since there is a lot of assembly and disassembly in the process of fitting and drilling new parts. The nuts can be replaced at the end with nylon locking nuts.
Get the frame all lined up and held in place with spring clamps then match drill the wood through the steel tabs on the fuselage. Bolt it all up and give yourself a pat on the back.
They drop right in although it's important to make sure the rear corner of the front parts lines up with the front corner of the rear parts. Here is that joint on the left side.
The greenhouse panel is held in place at the front by being slipped under an aluminum bracket. At the rear it is screwed into another aluminum bracket. Along the sides, fabric tape is attached to the panel and then folded over the corner to be hidden by the wing root fairings. Another piece of fabric tape attaches along the rear edge to seal it along the rear bracket.
It's easier to start with the rear bracket since it is installed by itself and only has to be installed flush with the rear cabin wood. Attach it at the center and then bend or adjust it as necessary so that the panel will come over the wood and sit flat on the little seat where it is bolted to the part.
The front bracket is sandwiched between the front windshield attach bracket and the front cabin frame wood. The windshield attach bracket has to be fitted first. Here's what it looks like
The alignment of the front parts should establish a flat transition from the surface of the windshield into the greenhouse panel but the windshield goes over its bracket and the greenhouse panel goes under its bracket. This explains the step you'll see in the photos. Here are the two front brackets and a photo of how they are oriented to create that step.
The parts are slightly different but this is the front area of a late 60's Citabria
First fit and install the windshield attach bracket. It comes from the factory with the five holes already drilled. You may have to adjust the curvature of the bracket to make it fit correctly. The photos show the initial fitting and then the improved fitting. The parts will flex a little so they can be made to fit perfectly once they're clamped into place.
The purpose of fitting the front bracket by itself is to get the placement correctly but to also match drill the holes through the wood. With that done you can get started with the front greenhouse bracket. I copied how @Chuck Schweiss mounted his, with a spacer to create the correct gap for the greenhouse panel to slide into. My spacer was 3/16" thick.
3/16" might seem like a lot for the greenhouse panel that is just under 1/8" thick but keep in mind there will be two layers of headliner wrapped over the top of the cabin frame which will be under the greenhouse panel so there needs to be enough room while also making for a snug fit. A layer of thin rubber or foam could be used as a gasket too to keep the greenhouse from shifting around.
Lay the spacer into place and then center and clamp the greenhouse bracket into place.
Use the holes that were drilled into the front of the cabin frame when you fit the windshield bracket and drill forward into the front greenhouse bracket as you get the alignment perfect.
When it's done you should have the correct placement of the windshield attach bracket and a nice gap for the greenhouse panel to slip into. This will all come apart when the headliner is being installed which will be explained in the next post.
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