Crash Repair/ Cracks on Canopy

[HeliKelley]

So at IRCHA 2012 this happened...

as you can probably imagine.. the canopy was destroyed. Im hoping to have it fully repaired and painted by ircha this year to fly it with the compass guys. That was my first official Compass Field Representative flight and I thought it would be cool to fix up the canopy and fly it at this coming ircha as one of the team pilots. i have the canopy structurally fixed but i have hairline cracks everywhere on it that i cant seem to sand out. Ive tried to use regular putty but that is cracking itself...i primed it to see the cracks and craters and there are quite a few.

Does anyone have any information that might help me out? Thanks Guys!

[buckers]

If you can't sand out the cracks I would suggest the integrity of the cano is compromised. Has it been reinforced underneath with fibreglass? I often do repairs and would only ever be using filler/putty on small holes, not cracks. Cracks require resin to physically bond the glass back together, and preferably, would require support from underneath, ie the addition of fibreglass matting to secure the curve of the surface
HTH

[HeliKelley]

I've reinforced the canopy already, fiber glass, microfibre balloons, the whole nine. I just can't seem to smooth out the thing

[buckers]

Can you post some detailed photos of it?

[nappyroots2182]

i work in auto body. the cracks will keep showing through if u try to fill or paint over them. u have to sand them completly down to the fiberglass and then primer that. works the same over the plastic bumpers i deal with.