Installing left rear window
TLDR
- Installed left rear window
- Fixed the Transponder error message on GNX375
Window
So today is more grinding on the window. I know most folks building Sling try to fit the window perfectly sized to the frame and glue it with some tools pressing down.
I chose to do something different with my window. I mostly followed this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A336SG-fsiI
Drawing lines
Tying a piece of rivet butt on a fine tip marker, I made a tool to draw lines with equal space.
Then I put the rivet butt next to the window frame, and the marker lightly touching the window, and traced around the window. This left a evenly spaced line around my window.
I then used a dremel with cutoff disc to slowly grind off th marked area, and got the window evenly fit within the frame but with about 2mm space to the frame edge.
Holding the window down
I tried to use ratchet strap and wood pieces to hold the window to the canopy juggle, but some part of the window just doesn’t fully stay on the canopy. So I drilled 8 2.4mm holes around the window (but not through the window), and used wingnut clecos to hold the entire window down.
Taping window edges
After making sure the window fits the canopy and I can hold it down when the Sikaflex cures, I took it off and taped off the edges where I don’t want the Sika to get on. And then I cleaned the exposed area with 99% IPO.
Gluing
To glue on the window, I applied Sika 205 on both canopy and window to activate, then 209 to prime, then 295 UV as the final glue.
Once the prep work was done, the actual glue part was not too bad. I placed the window and installed the wingnut clecos to hold it down. Then I used ratchet strap to loop around everything as redundancy.
Edit 9/21: It’s been over a week since I installed the window. I went back and remove all the clecos, and added more 295 UV around edge of window to flat out the grooves, and fill the cleco holes. The left window is finally complete.
Transponder error
The previous error I saw about transponder on the 375 was indeed a configuration issue. I asked MWPB and they told me I just needed to punch in my tail number to the 375’s configuration mode.
I did that, and viola the error is gone!
Well it still says GDU disconnected, and GPS searching sky. But at lesat one less error than before!