Rosen Sun Visors
(Sept 14, 2025) I’ve had Rosen sun visors in my club C172 for years and I use them all the time, so naturally I had to install a set in my plane too. Rosen released a kit for the Sling TSi earlier this year and I bought a pair...
Canopy Door Pockets and Latch Switches
When I designed the overhead panel lights, I included an input to sense the state of the door latches. This is to allow the cabin lights to turn on when the door is opened, and also to display a waring message on the lighting control panel as a reminder...
Door Hardware
The door hardware was surprisingly a lot of work to install. But I am satisfied that the doors will latch and lock securely. First, I attached the doors to the canopy and attached the gas assist strut. These struts come charged with compressed gas for a much heavier door,...
Windows Update
(not the annoying kind that requires a reboot!) The next challenge I decided to tackle was fitting and attaching all the Perspex (acrylic) windows to the canopy. I completed fitting and cutting of the windows in late March / early April, and then attached & sealed the windows in...
Windows Weekend
Over the weekend I fitted the Perspex (acrylic) windows to the openings in canopy. There are 5 windows total – 2 on the doors, 2 for the back seat, and the windscreen. The process was pretty straightforward, though a bit slow since I was trying to be very careful...
Canopy Install Part 2
The canopy installation took about 5 hours to complete, and it was a bit messy. I had flashbacks to building the fuel tanks, with sticky black goop (Sikaflex 295UV) going everywhere, and harsh chemicals (acetone) needed to clean up. I may have applied too much Sikaflex, because it was...
Canopy Headroom Check
Before I attach the canopy for good, I wanted to see how much extra headroom I could squeeze out. I was thinking I could raise up the front edge of the canopy a little bit, as long as there was enough excess material on the windscreen – luckily, the...
Canopy Install Part 1
With the headliner install complete, it’s finally time to attach the canopy! While checking for fit, I had to sand down the port side rear edge of the canopy a bit, but otherwise the composite lined up well with the metal skins. I match drilled all the holes, installed...
Canopy Headliner Installed
It’s a task I’ve put off for a long time, but I finally have a headliner attached to the canopy. I’m super pleased with the results. Although it wasn’t particularly difficult, it was manually-intensive, detailed work and took me most of the day Sunday to complete. First, I had...
Canopy Headliner Install
Quite some time ago I decided to put in a headliner on the canopy, mostly for aesthetic reasons. The material I chose is a foam-backed suede material from Automotive Interiors and Accessories, Inc. This was one of the only vendors I could find that made any statement about flammability;...