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Canopy mid position latch

rvpilot

rvpilot

Well Known Member
I just had a request for the name of the supplier of my canopy latch. Thought I'd post it here as others may have an interest also.


Canopy going back!


Past latch block, canopy going back forward!



The latch now shown in the hold or locked position. To release you simply slide the canopy slightly forward until the cam clears the latch block, then slide to the rear. Very simple, one hand operation.
The fellow making these latches is Mike Zeller, 812/305-2568. They are $30.00. Give him a call, he sends the latch, you then send a check.
 
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Having operated I think all possible rv-8 slider latch options, Including this one.... My vote is this one. Simple, elegant. Nothing to fiddle with, full proof. No springs, no latches, no pull gismos, no reaching. I mean it does not get any simpler than this AND its easiest to operate. :D
THanks Barefoot Billy for posting this up. Please put up the other pics you have as well so folks can see the operation. It can be confusing at first on how it operates.

Thanks again,
 
Canopy latch

Ahh, now I get it. I installed mine, but I had trouble. This makes it clearer. I ended up lengthening the cam, like this:



​

What I should have done was to move the hook part up a bit. I tried to make it flush with the edge of the canopy rail. This is a very cool system.
 
RV-8 Mid-Canopy Latch

I have one of these also. It took a couple of tries to get it properly positioned. It is "very" sensitive to the relationship between the free-rotating latch and the catch (hook). An eighth of an inch can make all the difference. I ended up having to cut another set of holes in the fixed catch (hook) to move it higher up on the rail. At that point I no longer needed the shim. It works fine, just needed a little tweaking. After all, not all RV canopies are finished the same (probably not even two are the same).

Very clever idea. Also I think quite safe as there is no way for it to jam in an emergency.

Chris
 
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Mid Canopy Latch revisited

After spending hours trying to design and build a simple latch to hold my -8 canopy open in the mid position; I vaguely remembered there was a previous design available. Since it is such a slick , simple design that works really well; I thought it was worth revisiting.

The guy making these is Mike Zeller and you can call him at (812) 305-2568. He'll mail you an extremely well-made latch with instruction and you send him back $30, includes postage. Very simple.

Before you install, read the earlier posts, they are helpful too. I 'test ran' my latch by holding it in place with spring clamps to make sure I had the proper height. I did have to put a thin washer under the cam post to allow it to move freely, but that was the only adjustment to the unit other than shimming to get the proper angle and spacing.
 
Hi all

Does anyone have an e-mail address for Mike Zeller? I'm in the UK and would like to contact him about this retention block.

Many thanks

Rob
 
RobDob said:
Hi all

Does anyone have an e-mail address for Mike Zeller? I'm in the UK and would like to contact him about this retention block.

Many thanks

Rob
Click to expand...

zeco67 (at) hotmail (dot) com

You know the usual drill, replace the (at) and (dot)
 
tomcostanza said:
Is the purpose of this to latch the canopy while flying with it partially open?
Click to expand...

NOPE! (you must be a Grumman Yankee pilot! :))

It's there to hold the canopy where you can reach it from the front seat once you are all strapped in. Nothing more embarrassing than getting all ready to go in front of a crowd (at a fly-in), firing up, and then not being able to reach the dang canopy because it is all the way aft.....:rolleyes:
 
Ironflight said:
...Nothing more embarrassing than getting all ready to go in front of a crowd (at a fly-in), firing up, and then not being able to reach the dang canopy because it is all the way aft.....:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Gee, Paul ... is that the voice of EXPERIENCE talking? ;)

Maybe you just need longer arms.

I also have one of Mike's gizmos. Works great.
 
AN3 Bolt size

It's obvious by looking at the photo's you have to step up the length of the bolt to accomidate for the thicker install, delrin, washer,....

What size is everyone using so I can place it on the next order to Spruce or is this specified in the instruction provided? :rolleyes:

TIA,

Bruce
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tomcostanza
Is the purpose of this to latch the canopy while flying with it partially open?

NOPE! (you must be a Grumman Yankee pilot! )
Click to expand...

I beg your pardon! Grumman TIGER pilot...alas, by invitation only.
 
rvpilot said:
I just had a request for the name of the supplier of my canopy latch. Thought I'd post it here as others may have an interest also.


Canopy going back!


Past latch block, canopy going back forward!



The latch now shown in the hold or locked position. To release you simply slide the canopy slightly forward until the cam clears the latch block, then slide to the rear. Very simple, one hand operation.
The fellow making these latches is Mike Zeller, 812/305-2568. They are $30.00. Give him a call, he sends the latch, you then send a check.
Click to expand...

So I'm guessing that in order for the cam to catch the hook, yet move out of the way when it is "doing its thing", the cam must default to the 6:00 o'clock position (pointed down)... Does it do this with gravity, or is it spring loaded?
 
Toobuilder said:
So I'm guessing that in order for the cam to catch the hook, yet move out of the way when it is "doing its thing", the cam must default to the 6:00 o'clock position (pointed down)... Does it do this with gravity, or is it spring loaded?
Click to expand...

It free-swivels, so it hangs at 6:00 o'clock due to gravity.
 
We installed the Zeller latch on the -8 yesterday and it works just great! It took all of 15 minutes to install. I can imagine all the time I would have spent designing/fabricating something on my own.

A great product!
 
The IDEA will work on any canopy where you can find an appropriate spot to mount the bits. You may have to custom build your own parts to make it work.

It helps if the canopy rails are parallel so that you can more easily align everything to work properly. For example, the Rocket sliders have 2 piece rails that make finding a spot to put these difficult.

YMMV.
 
Now that I've got some time on Smokey and have used Mike's latch for a couple of years, I'm not as tickled with it as I originally was. What I would REALLY like is a way to open the canopy about 8" and lock it there for taxiing on a hot day or after landing. Trying to taxi AND fiddle with this latch is a recipe for disaster, IMO. I mean, have you ever tried to taxi and look back over your shoulder? Maybe it's just me.

Plus, with the canopy half-open, I've noticed quite a bit of buffeting if I bump the power, and it has even worked loose and slid all the way open once while taxiing over rough grass.

So, looking back, I think I would prefer a spring-loaded latch over this one, or maybe mount one in addition to this latch.

Just my personal observation. Guess 500 hours of Yankee time spoiled me. :D
 
Don - That is why I have fitted a second latch at the 8" point (one in the video) as your comments mirrored other RV-8 pilots. Bob
 
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