REFLECTOR: canard cover

[Chuck]

An expierenced V builder showed me how to use small spring loaded brass door 
latches to secure my 2 front covers (nose and canard). On the forward edge 
of the cover you attach a couple 1" wide piece of 1/8" aluminum (about 4' 
long) that slides under the fwd part of the fuselage to retain the front of 
the cover. You'll need to do some minor trimming and sanding to make the 
cover slide into position. Then on the aft side of hatch cover you install 
the door latch, so that when you push it down it snaps under the aft edge of 
the fuselage. We put a piece of aluminum on the underside, so the brass 
latch would ride against it. We also drilled a couple 1/4" holes into the 
hatch cover and put springs in then, so that the hatch is spring loaded 
against the lip on the fuselage. We then attached a cable to the door latch 
and routed it to where you could pull it to pop open the cover.

I have a 12" x 12" nose cover and the canard (roughly 6' x 24') cover only 
is about 2/3rd (aft 6") of the top of the turtle deck and doesn't extend 
over the side edges of the top. I also strengthened the remaining front 1/3 
so that it wouldn't bow up under load. I used the black windshield type 
automotive material under the cover hatches to water seal them.

I think Rene uses a door hinge on the front of his big cover and a door 
latch on the back which is really well done. Sorry if you can't picture this 
from my description, but it's really easy to do and has worked well for 7 
years. If you want pictures, let me know, and I'll take and send them to 
you.

Chuck H