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Sailplane Canopy

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fthac...@gmail.com

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Aug 20, 2018, 4:32:05 PM8/20/18
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I'm wanting to find out the manufacturer contact info of the sailplane canopies specifically a Libelle 201 that are located in Colochester. Gram Drinkell mentioned they can produce a 201 canopy for 400 pounds. I'd like to have contact info for this company.

Tango Whisky

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Aug 21, 2018, 12:36:10 AM8/21/18
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Why don't you try to contact Mecaplex in Switzerland?

fthac...@gmail.com

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Aug 21, 2018, 2:25:48 AM8/21/18
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Expensive...

Ross

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Aug 21, 2018, 2:54:54 AM8/21/18
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Mecaplex won’t sell direct
You need to go to Streifeneder

Expensive yes, but will fit and be good first time
Gliding is generally not a cheap sport when it comes to spare parts

clint....@gmail.com

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Aug 21, 2018, 1:26:38 PM8/21/18
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For older gliders - a canopy replacement can approach half of the total glider value or more. So more cost effective canopies are then required.

uncl...@ix.netcom.com

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Aug 21, 2018, 2:44:19 PM8/21/18
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On Tuesday, August 21, 2018 at 1:26:38 PM UTC-4, clint....@gmail.com wrote:
> For older gliders - a canopy replacement can approach half of the total glider value or more. So more cost effective canopies are then required.

It isn't any less expensive to produce a canopy for an older glider. Nor is it less expensive to install them. Shipping from Yerrup, if coming from there, is the same.
Sometimes cheap gliders aren't so cheap.
Unfortunately that is just how it is.
UH

fthac...@gmail.com

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Aug 22, 2018, 12:40:42 AM8/22/18
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Is it possible to get a moderator to send a pm to someone? Some of you have you're contact email in you're title. When I first posted with questions regarding transparencies a guy by the name of Gram Drinkell wrote that he knows of a Libelle Canopy that can be had for around $500.00 he only mentioned the City Name where they're made. I searched the Internet and found names for at least most aviation companies in that city.

I posted another with Gram's name in the Subject but this man has yet to respond. Gram please save me the trouble and cost of numerous International calls with Skype in hopes of finding the company you mentioned... I'll do it don't get me wrong. I'll send handwritten letters if I must. Don't think I won't. I found a company that's got a 301 mold and a 301 could be had from them for a little less than 1,000.

They could do a 201 but would need to make the plug and or mold and they quoted 2,000 for that. Such is searching for components for restoration of a Libelle that may need a lot of work. Want to keep costs in check from the start. If I could afford Macaplex I'd likely go that route. If I could afford Macaplex I would be able to afford to trial and error my way through producing my own canopy as well.

Graaaaaam!

Darryl Ramm

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Aug 22, 2018, 1:22:37 AM8/22/18
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There is no moderator this is a USENET group, it's the wild west. There are no "PM"s.

You seem to be posting from Google Groups (which forwards all this stuff to USENET). You can search for past messages for the Goggle Groups web page. there in the search box. You can also reply to posters via emails from the Google Groups web pages and try taking your requests to folks offline yourself.

Go Soaring

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Aug 22, 2018, 4:15:05 AM8/22/18
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I think sadly you may be clutching at straws, we're in England, may
son has a Libelle, if there was any opportunity of obtaining decent
canopy transparencies for that cost, everyone would know of them
and be buying them.



t 05:22 22 August 2018, Darryl Ramm wrote:
>There is no moderator this is a USENET group, it's the wild west.
There
>are=
> no "PM"s.
>
>You seem to be posting from Google Groups (which forwards all
this stuff
>to=
> USENET). You can search for past messages for the Goggle
Groups web page.
>=
>there in the search box. You can also reply to posters via emails
from the
>=
>Google Groups web pages and try taking your requests to folks
offline
>yours=
>elf.
>
>On Tuesday, August 21, 2018 at 9:40:42 PM UTC-7,
fthac...@gmail.com wrote:
>> Is it possible to get a moderator to send a pm to someone?
Some of you
>ha=
>ve you're contact email in you're title. When I first posted with
>questions=
> regarding transparencies a guy by the name of Gram Drinkell
wrote that he
>=
>knows of a Libelle Canopy that can be had for around $500.00 he
only
>mentio=
>ned the City Name where they're made. I searched the Internet
and found
>nam=
>es for at least most aviation companies in that city.
>>=20
>> I posted another with Gram's name in the Subject but this man
has yet
>to=
> respond. Gram please save me the trouble and cost of numerous
>Internationa=
>l calls with Skype in hopes of finding the company you
mentioned... I'll
>do=
> it don't get me wrong. I'll send handwritten letters if I must. Don't
>thin=
>k I won't. I found a company that's got a 301 mold and a 301
could be had
>f=
>rom them for a little less than 1,000.
>>=20
>> They could do a 201 but would need to make the plug and or
mold and they
>=
>quoted 2,000 for that. Such is searching for components for
restoration of
>=
>a Libelle that may need a lot of work. Want to keep costs in check
from
>the=
> start. If I could afford Macaplex I'd likely go that route. If I could
>aff=
>ord Macaplex I would be able to afford to trial and error my way
through
>pr=
>oducing my own canopy as well.=20
>>=20
>> Graaaaaam!
>
>

FranCP

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Aug 22, 2018, 8:02:56 AM8/22/18
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El lunes, 20 de agosto de 2018, 17:32:05 (UTC-3), fthac...@gmail.com escribió:
> I'm wanting to find out the manufacturer contact info of the sailplane canopies specifically a Libelle 201 that are located in Colochester. Gram Drinkell mentioned they can produce a 201 canopy for 400 pounds. I'd like to have contact info for this company.

I'd recently bought a front canopy and 2 sliding windows for a Fournier RF5 in Argentina, the company is called Plásticos Sampaolesi

http://www.sampaolesiplastic.com.ar/aero.php

Fair price (1/4 than Mecaplex), and actually surprisingly good optical quality. I know shipping may be an issue, but i think worth to ask for a quotation. Besides, they have lots of old gliders flying in Argentina, maybe they have the mould, or access to one.

Ross

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Aug 23, 2018, 5:42:32 PM8/23/18
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Having owned 2 201 and 2 301 I would really like to know what the difference in the blank canopy is. Surely it cannot be a great deal if anything at all
Fitted a racing canopy to both and I am not sure I could tell you the difference

Here are some pics of that operation and a little more

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3E7z5NP8BWKT3VfZkdsdFV0cmc

It was a load of work but well worth it in the end

George Haeh

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Aug 23, 2018, 7:02:53 PM8/23/18
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Google for "aircraft canopy makers". There's several.

Craig Funston

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Aug 23, 2018, 7:05:38 PM8/23/18
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Beautiful Libelles Ross!

Fitting something like a libelle canopy that doesn't flow into the curvature of the forward fuselage is much more challenging than typical canopies. Lots of small cuts and trial fits.

Cheers,
Craig

fthac...@gmail.com

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Aug 23, 2018, 9:15:33 PM8/23/18
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Ross I'm not certain what canopy is on you're Libelle. Is that the low profile canopy option Libelle canopy? Is that a canopy for a different type? I want to install the same as you've got. Looks better than the standard Libelle canopy! Yeah if you could tell me the canopy you used and I could get one for less than $1,000 I may go that way and you could give me tips on installation if there are important tricks or particular nuances of such.

fthac...@gmail.com

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Aug 23, 2018, 9:19:24 PM8/23/18
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Thank You Mr. Whitley and Mr. Leonard for looking into the canopy sourcing matter for me.

Steve Leonard

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Aug 24, 2018, 11:18:53 AM8/24/18
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On Thursday, August 23, 2018 at 8:15:33 PM UTC-5, fthac...@gmail.com wrote:
> Ross I'm not certain what canopy is on you're Libelle. Is that the low profile canopy option Libelle canopy? Is that a canopy for a different type? I want to install the same as you've got. Looks better than the standard Libelle canopy! Yeah if you could tell me the canopy you used and I could get one for less than $1,000 I may go that way and you could give me tips on installation if there are important tricks or particular nuances of such.

Hi Brian,

Yes, the Libelle was offered with two canopy options. I believe they were "Standard" (now referred to as the "racing" canopy) and the "Tall", which is what most have gotten over the years. I agree with you that the "racing" looks a lot "sexier". Fitting in can be an issue for some, but I fit in the FJ-1 (made up of Libelle parts) with its racing canopy, seat back still installed, with a chute on. I am 6'2" tall but have a bit more of my height in my legs, so this gives me a bit more head room, but a tougher fit under the panel for my legs.

I don't know for sure, but I suspect Ross used a Mecaplex canopy, so not an under $1K option.

Steve Leonard
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