Best sun shade for DA40?

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TomJ
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Re: Best sun shade for DA40?

Post by TomJ »

I have almost the same pirep as Russ. We just returned to San Jose CA today from a trip to the the Dallas TX area. The jet shades arrived a couple of days before the start of our trip on June 26th so they were first used on this trip. It was a good test case because of the record high temperatures this past weekend at the places we stopped: Roswell NM, Sedona AZ and Bakersfield CA.

As Russ says, a weak link is the self adhesive velcro strips attached to tabs on the canopy shades. But I think another, perhaps greater weak link is that the curvature of the shades and tabs don’t match the curvature of the canopy, putting excessive pulling force on the tabs. The center visor tabs mostly stayed adhered and helped to keep the side shades in place.

The good part is that the shades made a significant difference to the inside temperature (I don’t have AC) and didn’t fall down even in continuous moderate turbulence. Their quality control seems rather poor, for instance there are uneven gaps between the shades and the window edges they are supposed to fit, and the front tab on the left shade was a different shape than its partner on the right. There are what looks like the beginnings of stress cracks where the material was bent as per the installation instructions. I plan to discuss these findings with the company, whose customer service is described as good by reviewers.

The rear shades had no issues except the uneven gaps described above. I got the premium (darker) rear shades and the regular center visor.

This sentence is subjective, but while the shades are effective they look really dorky and take away some of the aesthetics of our birds. I plan to use them only on cross-country trips that I expect to be hot. Also, I can’t believe how expensive they are. However my wife - chief instigator of this purchase and with lower high-temp tolerance than me - says this is a great product.
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chili4way
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Re: Best sun shade for DA40?

Post by chili4way »

TomJ wrote: Mon Jul 13, 2020 4:13 am I plan to use them only on cross-country trips that I expect to be hot.
This is the same conclusion I've come to. They make a big difference in both temperature & sun exposure on long trips and waiting in the departure "conga line". (And I have air conditioning in my plane.)

My PIREP is the same as Russ'. Surface prep with isopropyl alcohol is important. (The pads provided with the shades may not be enough.) It's important to let the velcro or dual-lock adhesive "cure" without the canopy shades attached when you first install them. I take the canopy shades down at the end of each flying day. The rear ones stay installed if the plane is not in direct sunlight while parked for an extended period (i.e. hangared or using a Bruce's Custom cover). For plane & person fueling stopovers, I just keep the DA40NG canopy open in position 2 and open the side vents.
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arksat
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Re: Best sun shade for DA40?

Post by arksat »

I'm thinking to make a DIY sun shade by cutting cling car shade like this. (highlighted in red)
I wondered if anybody tried this idea.
shade.jpg
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Ultrapilot1
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Re: Best sun shade for DA40?

Post by Ultrapilot1 »

I use cling on rear windows and it works fine
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blsewardjr
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Re: Best sun shade for DA40?

Post by blsewardjr »

Russ- I only have the Jet Shades on the front canopy. My reasoning was that the back windows are already slightly tinted and I don't usually have rear seat passengers so I didn't see the value. However, if the rear ones decrease the temperature for the entire cockpit I would consider them. Have you every compared front canopy only with a full set including the rear shades regarding temperature? Thanks. Bernie
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michael.g.miller
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Re: Best sun shade for DA40?

Post by michael.g.miller »

I recently got Just Plane Tint installed on my rear DA42 windows, as well as 2 of their universal shades for the canopy. Alan (the owner) and his wife installed the rear window shades for me in MD. Very reasonable price (around $500 for both rear windows, and 2 universals), and friendly service.

I looked at Jet Shades, but just couldn’t justify 1-2k for a product that may delaminate in a few years.

So far, very happy with their product. The rear windows noticeably help with heat reduction, and the universal shades for the canopy actually stick, unlike the car shades with suction cups.
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Re: Best sun shade for DA40?

Post by Boatguy »

blsewardjr wrote: Mon Aug 30, 2021 4:10 pm Russ- I only have the Jet Shades on the front canopy. My reasoning was that the back windows are already slightly tinted and I don't usually have rear seat passengers so I didn't see the value. However, if the rear ones decrease the temperature for the entire cockpit I would consider them. Have you every compared front canopy only with a full set including the rear shades regarding temperature? Thanks. Bernie
No, I haven't compared. My assumption has been that reducing heat in aft cabin helps reduce heat in the front, but I could be wrong.

How about some pictures of the Plane Tint?

I had 3M film applied to the glass dodger of my last boat and the benefits were incredible. Literally years in the tropics and the film dramatically reduced the heat without materially reducing the visibility.
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