Anyone have a ball park figure for replacing the "omni-vision" window (one side) on a 1963 C-182? Original material, back crack in it.
thanks

Sean

Great lakes aero plastic $ 270 for parts and about 5 hrs labor .

If you wanted to save a bit but not do the whole job you could take the rear seat out and enough interior to access the window retention rivets. Reinstall when project is complete. That might save you an hour or two.

It took me around 6 hours to do the two passenger windows, which are probably a tad easier than the two rear windows. That included prep, drilling it all out, remove the old windows, cleaning out the old sealer goop, install the new ones, and cleco and rivet the job, and repainting the old interior plastic parts. That didn't include the exterior touch up paint. I also had to modify a bucking bar to fit in the channels. I'm probably slower than most.

Thanks for the comments. I have a ball park idea now. The crack is stop drilled for the moment, and I'll try to get some sealant into it tomorrow (super glue?). Plan is to replace at annual time. I wonder, since the crack is only on one side, do you essentially have to access both sides regardless? If so, I might as well replace both since 1962 was awhile back and things do get brittle with age..

Sean

Seward wrote:

get some sealant into it tomorrow (super glue?)

Seward, there is a proper plexiglass glue, basically methylene chloride, as I recall, I've bought it from window glass shops and plastics suppliers. Should be available in thick or thin viscosity. I helped (OK, watched, stayed out of the way ... ) a friend who's a real craftsman repair a crack in a $5000 sailplane canopy with the stuff: Stop-drilled the end of the crack, ran the glue/solvent in the length of the crack with a small syringe, and polished out the drilled hole with solvent on a piece of cotton string, to eliminate stress risers. Then VERY carefully micro-meshed the repair area. It was just barely visible.

On the rear Omni-vision, you probably wouldn't need to be so meticulous, but the extra step of gluing/polishing would give a stronger repair. See also the guidance in FAR 43.13 Chapter 3 Sections 3 and 4.

Superglue is basically cyanoacrylate, and "might" work, but it does get brittle, and don't know the compatability with clear ,acrylic plastic, and don't recall it being recommended in 43.13.

Let us know how this comes out for you, this problem is more common than you might think.

Thanks. cubscout.

Well, after a lot of internet searching and talking to some aircraft window companies (who all assumed I was some sort of undercover FAA guy looking to trick them into providing advice on crack sealant)....I used clear tape. Looks ok, is solid, and will keep water out until annual and replacement. I know, kinda anti-climatic, but there really is no magic glue/sealant out there for windows installed in 1962 and exposed to sun.

thanks for the suggestions.

Sean