7AC LH Side window channel

[GWestphal]

Does anyone have a source for the 31 inch upper and 37 inch lower window channel for the LH sliding windows for a 7AC. Thank you................Gordy Westphal, Rochester, MN

[Nathan K. Hammond]

I got mine from Safe-Air-Repair; so you should be able to get them from WagAero now. FYI: They come a little long and you'll have to trim them to fit.

nkh

[MikeB]

Gordy
Depending on how original you want to keep things, my Champ had a "fuzzy" type window channel in it when I bought it. Still has for that matter. I'm unsure of the width but it fit right in and allowed both windows to slide back and forth. Much less air leakage than our other Champs with the metal channel runners. I know we used to put these in truck window channels back in the 60's but I was unable to find any when I was doing my L16 windows so I had to go with the original type channels although I'd use the fuzzy ones if I could find them.....for whatever it's worth.

Mike

[Kif]

Mine has metal channels. Are these original? If they are, is there anything that is supposed to go on them for sealing purposes or are they just left bare (painted only)? And how are they held in place?

[N86250]

Some of the Piper Guys get channel from J C Whitney. Here's a link.
http://www.jcwhitney.com/steel-core-win ... ilterid=j5

[MikeB]

The JC Whitney ones look like the ones that are on my Champ (fuzzy). 3/4 inch seems like the right width but I can't remember. There wasn't much for sealing on the original metal runners other than some baffle type material on the ends. Most have been somewhat modified over the years, though.

Mike

[GWestphal]

Thanks everyone for your help. I called Wag-Aero this morning and ordered a top and bottom channel. At $37 each I should have tried my talents but the lower one 2-853-2 has that "W" shape and I would need to make up some forming fixtures to keep it true. The upper one I looked at on a nearby Champ was formed into a "T" shape like those running down the top under the wing leading edge aluminum. The drawing 2-853-1 shows it as the "W" style. I'll see what I get next week. Mike you wouldn't know if that bristle welt material in the window channel or attached to the window frame would be available somewhere with an adhesive back. Windows dwg 3-469 and 3-476 (dark to read) show the welting attached to the aluminum frame that attaches around the .080"plexi. Thanks again............Gordy

[MikeB]

Nope! Sorry Gordy......but I suspect some of the members who have rebuilt their Champs to original configurations might know where to obtain the material. I wasn't too concerned about it so used what I thought would work best. I made the side windows from .125 Lexon left over from the greehouse on my L16 and used window stripping from John's Aircraft Parts (Menards) to seal the air spaces as best I can. Seems to work and slide fairly well but we'll see how it stands up.

Mike

[flyboy1964]

Hey Mike. If your up for it, a couple of us are flying to reedsburg sunday to go for lunch or brunch. don't know how far it is from you or if you were ever there but there is a nice little restaurant right across the street. It is about 15 miles due west of the dells.

[Nathan K. Hammond]

Mine originally had the steel "T" both top and bottom; but they were rusted and rotted out. With the new aluminum "W", they're slick as a whistle, without the rust issue. And talking with Joe at Safe-Air, he said to put a strip of felt on the WINDOW, not the channel like mine had been. Don't know his reasoning, but it makes the window slide like it's on rollers.

Some guys have played with HDPE plastic to make the channel and report it's just as good.

nkh

[MikeB]

John,
Thanks for the invite. My Sunday mornings are usually tied up with something or another at church (40+ years in the choir and lay leader) so I have a hard time getting away unless I can schedule it ahead. I know they have a nice eating place there though. We usually have coffee, rolls and flying lies at our airport (3WN9) on Saturday morning. In fact, I'm headed down that way in a few minutes.

Mike

[GWestphal]

Received the channel from Wag-Aero and they are both the "W" style and like that idea of the felt on the window aluminum to seal and take up the gap in the channel. Thanks for the ideas.............Gordy