F-19 Skylight

[Mark Julicher]

I just took on an F-19 project and discovered that this airframe has what appears to be a factory installed skylight. Can anyone confirm this is OEM? If so, how exactly is the plexiglass and the fabric fitted into these frames? I think I can kludge something together, but it would be good to know how it was originally done.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: F-19 Skylight

Mark,
That looks similar to the factory ones from my 45. I was told that mine were an experiment they tried on the first two Deluxe models after the war in 1945 but the wood work was too much labor.
Yours has metal frame where mine was wood and my "glass" went all the way to the center with the trim cables running under the glass. Looks like to me you would still need wood around those frames to support the fabric.
I found the triangle skylights with the long side against the root rib and the apex of each at the center gave just as good visibility as the big square ones but gained MUCH less heat in the summer sun! Your head is so close to the glass when you tun your head your eyes are right next to the glass with great visibility. You also can just glance up in a turn and see through the "T top blind spot".
Best of all, the two triangle skylights really LOOK much better to me. I just wish I had them in the 41.
Hank

[Mark Julicher]

Re: F-19 Skylight

Hank,
Thanks!
Yes, it looks like I need to do some wood work to fair in the fabric and retain the glass. I just don't know what that looks like ... yet. None-the-less, it is a very interesting feature and possibly a rare find. The plane belongs to folks from Corsicana, TX.

The F-19 type certificate calls out a skylight, so this may be one of only a few built this way. If I can figure it out, I'm going to do this to my own F-19.

[RobertP]

Re: F-19 Skylight

The framework looks very similar to that in my F22A which has two separate oblong skylights down the total cabin area roof. It is excellent for eliminating the usual blind spots and makes the cabin a whole lot lighter and roomier! I really notice the difference if a fly a high wing spam can which seems very closed in and dark in comparison!

I seem to recall having seen marketing garb for the F22 series which made much of this new found viewing and lighter roomier feel. The added visibility is very important to me as being tall I finish up peering under the wing roots as it is in the turn!

I have not experienced any problems with heat but having said that I live in Wales UK where we have very little sun!!!

[Mark Julicher]

Re: F-19 Skylight

Robert,

Would it be possible for you to post photos of your skylight, both inside view and outside view? I hope to be able to puzzle out how the fabric and perspex are fastened to the metal frame. Thanks.

[Robert Lees]

Re: F-19 Skylight

Mark, here's a couple of general views of Robert's sister-ship F22 (tailwheel); the skylights are the same. Unfortunately, it's the only photos I have.

Rob

[Mark Julicher]

Re: F-19 Skylight

Rob,
Thanks. Wow that is a lot of perspex! Those skylights appear to mount very similarly to the Clayton STC. Very nice, but not at all like the small double skylight I'm faced with. I LIKE it though. Huge visibility.

Incidentally, I just removed a similar giant skylight from a RANS Coyote The windscreen all the way back behind the seats was all made from two large sheets of plastic joined with a metal strip and them all blind riveted in place.

[Forrest Barber]

Re: F-19 Skylight

Drawings are here at Foundation. IF i ever find time, we can copy to disc.
I will look next Tues.... e-mail me direct .

[Pilot78]

Re: F-19 Skylight

Forrest,
I would be interested in purchasing a CD with the skylight drawings for the F-19.

Brian
SLC-UT

[mulwyk]

Re: F-19 Skylight

I could also use one of those skylight drawing CD's.