Does anyone know of a UK firm that can reproduce a Perspex (or polycarbonate etc.) canopy from an existing pattern?

I'm talking about the type of thing you see on small aircraft - I seem to recall seeing people post about making light covers etc. & this is obviously much the same sort of thing just on a larger scale, is there any possibility of a DIY attempt working, the canopy only needs to be about 2 or 3mm thick

Any ideas welcome!

Could you not get an old glider canopy, probably cheaper than having something made special.

Like the Vindicator F4?

Yes, does anyone know where Vindicator get their screen for the F4 made? It has to be a specific size so I can't just use something like an old glider canopy unless it just happened to be the exact size - highly unlikely!

[Edited on 5/12/13 by russbost]

I did a little of this one my industrial model making course at college you need to google 'drape forming polycarbonate' you will also need an oven that heats to 300-320'f and have some way of adding pressure to the polycarb to help it in place. Unless you are looking at having 100's made instead of just 1 - 10 I would suggest you look in to 'water clear casting resin' as it's similar to using GRP resin. This can be made in a GRP mould and if your careful polished to a glass like state.

Some good information which could be used for a DIY attempt, though being in Aus makes the company not so useful.
http://www.autospeed.com/cms/A_111051/article.html

Try these: http://www.plasticsforyou.co.uk/acrylic_domes_s/139.htm they do bespoke shapes.

Sounds like the sort of thing that people who are into building human powered vehicles might have done.

Sorry, I can not help,

but that silver thing " Vindicator F4? "

OMG my eyes !!

Thanx for all the help guys, some useful links there, I think I may now have someone who can do the job!

Heat forming a Plastic Canopy is dead simple .. in theory :-)

You first meed a male mold. Plaster Cast of the original works well.
Then you need the plastic :-)
An oven or heat source to heat said plastic.. that's the tricky bit.. as that's a large plastic sheet .
One could group and assortment of Hotplates into a Bodge heat source (no flame burners for obvious reason)
Then once the plastic has softened Slap it onto the male mold and using thick soft cotton gloves press it onto the mold's shape.
IF a bungled attempt.. simply reheat (it goes back to a flat sheet) and try again... as often as required.

Utube likely has myriad examples... worth at least looking at.

quote:

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Originally posted by steve m
Sorry, I can not help,

but that silver thing " Vindicator F4? "

OMG my eyes !!

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I have used Project Plastics in Colchester in the past to do similar things for custom boat screens.

If you want to have a go yourself then find a helpful company with a suitably sized vacuum forming machine. They can be used to blow form shapes in sheet materials. The machines have a facility to blow a bubble in the sheet before the drape, which is used to reduce thinning and webbing on deep draw forms. I know, because I've done it, but it can get expensive experimenting and making a lot of scrap.

Stick to Acrylic, polycarbonate will be considerably more expensive and is very prone to scratching. There are abrasion resistant polycarbonates such as Marguard, but I am fairly sure things might go horribly wrong when trying to heat form them. They are basically a laminate of polycarbonate capped with a thin layer of acrylic and the two materials will have different characteristics when heated and stretched.

Probably best to get the experts to do it, they should only charge for the successful items.