Australian made Sonex Canopies

I recently had an email from Sonex flyer Norm Sanders who has a new canopy and windscreen made by Ian Linke in South Australia.  Here’s what Norm had to say:

“Ian made the entire canopy and it dropped in perfectly. (He said it would just drop in and it did.)  You may have been aware that there was a guy in the US making canopies without the bulge on the side. I mentioned this to Ian early on and he said he was planning to do this in the mold he was making. Having well fitting flat sides removes a lot of stress which can lead to cracks.  Ian is a very skilled technician and craftsman who has a reputation for making perfect glider canopies which is how I learned of him.

I beefed up the canopy frame to make it stiffer and to give more bonding surface for the Sikaflex which holds the canopy on. I used only a few screws for positioning and the holes were oversized and burnished. No sign of cracks so far.”

From Ian Linke

The canopies are 2 pieces preformed and are both 3mm acrylic.

Price is $1600.00 +gst. for the pair in clear.   Add $110.00 for Smoke tint.

Drop on fit, stretch moulded as per glider canopies. This also means they are uniform thickness and annealed for strength and longevity .

Fitting

I recommend bonding on using sikaflex UV without screws or rivets for a smooth flush fit.  With appropriate care service life of the acrylic is around 20 years in full sun. 

Currently sold out (31/8/2020) but should be available again in about 6 weeks. Normally in stock. 

Ian Linke
Aviation Acrylic Mouldings
0414251378