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Open canopy during flight

BrianP

Member
In case you would ever have to bail and open a chute, I’ve heard the canopy may be difficult to open during flight. Does anyone know of a canopy ever being opened on an RV8 during flight?
 
In 1999 there was an RV-8 that caught fire in flight. The pilot did get out, but unfortunately he was not wearing a chute. The NTSB said that the fire may have been so intense in the cockpit to be intolerable (the WWI scenario before chutes were widely used). Here is the NTSB Final Report.


On my first RV-8, I replaced the bolts that attach the canopy to the rollers with pip pins (as many have done). I'm sure I could open the canopy enough to just clear the windscreen fairing, pull the pip pins, and then push up and let the airstream rip the canopy off. The catch is that the canopy may strike the pilot's or passenger's head (even if pilot leans forward), rendering the pilot and/or passenger unconscious/dazed/injured if they are not wearing helmets.

Years ago Sean Tucker was practicing for Sun 'n Fun 2006 when he had an elevator disconnect. He was able to fly with elevator trim and climb to an altitude that allowed a bailout. He said that even though he had time to think through what he was going to do, when he released the canopy, it hit his helmet even though he leaned as far forward as he could. He said that the hit was hard enough that he thinks that it may have rendered him unconscious had he not had the helmet. His airplane had a full canopy though, unlike the RV-8 that has a fixed windscreen that may help the pilot avoid a hard canopy hit, but not the passenger. He mentions this in this video at about 3:55 (although the whole story is quite good). Also, starting at about 5:15 he mentions that when he left the airplane the stab and bracing wires were there and he gently pushed away from them with one hand.



Pip pin installed:

i-WfMqxGH-XL.jpg
 
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I have always felt that the PIP pins were a good option for making the canopy jettisonable but personally if I was needing to use the function, I would first pull both of the pins before unlatching the canopy. This will allow whatever faring is installed between the windscreen and canopy, to hold the canopy down on the rollers instead of potentially lifting one side once the first pin is removed (if you could even remove it because chances are there will be some lifting load on the canopy).
Then I would unlatch the canopy latch and push the canopy aft without my hand inserted inside the handle. I believe, but it’s only a theory, that there is enough lift on the mid point of the canopy that it would lift the forward and into the airstream and it would pivot up and off the airplane hinging on the aft slide block.
 
In 1999 there was an RV-8 that caught fire in flight. The pilot did get out, but unfortunately he was not wearing a chute. The NTSB said that the fire may have been so intense in the cockpit to be intolerable (the WWI scenario before chutes were widely used). Here is the NTSB Final Report.


On my first RV-8, I replaced the bolts that attach the canopy to the rollers with pip pins (as many have done). I'm sure I could open the canopy enough to just clear the windscreen fairing, pull the pip pins, and then push up and let the airstream rip the canopy off. The catch is that the canopy may strike the pilot's or passenger's head (even if pilot leans forward), rendering the pilot and/or passenger unconscious/dazed/injured if they are not wearing helmets.

Years ago Sean Tucker was practicing for Sun 'n Fun 2006 when he had an elevator disconnect. He was able to fly with elevator trim and climb to an altitude that allowed a bailout. He said that even though he had time to think through what he was going to do, when he released the canopy, it hit his helmet even though he leaned as far forward as he could. He said that the hit was hard enough that he thinks that it may have rendered him unconscious had he not had the helmet. His airplane had a full canopy though, unlike the RV-8 that has a fixed windscreen that may help the pilot avoid a hard canopy hit, but not the passenger. He mentions this in this video at about 3:55 (although the whole story is quite good). Also, starting at about 5:15 he mentions that when he left the airplane the stab and bracing wires were there and he gently pushed away from them with one hand.



Pip pin installed:

i-WfMqxGH-XL.jpg


Did you have to do anything to the hole other than replace the bolt with the pip pins?

Are the pip pins you used commercially available?

Thanks
 
Add regular lubing to the Mx checklist

Add regular lubing to the Mx checklist. The tubing rusts up and gets hard to remove .
 
Canopy

I have pip pins in my canopy, not only for a possible bail out situation, but in the last moments before an off field landing. Trying to get out of an inverted aircraft with a jammed canopy might be impossible. Pull both pip pins first, then unlock and push. I think it should pivot up and over cleanly.

Regards, Brent
 
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