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RV-4 Canopy Latch

NWTailwager

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Anyone have a latch designed that will keep my 4's canopy open 4 to 6 inches on the taxi way to allow cool air inside? I was transitioning from medium well to well done last Sunday headed to departure end and blew the top off.
 
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Simple taxi latch

I just used a very simple bar that is bolted to the instrument panel and can pivot on nylon washers. The bar pivots up for the "taxi" position and clips to the protruding canopy sliding bar that engages with the instrument panel. Probably not a very good description, but it works very well even in high winds and during engine startup where you can get some vibration. It costs about $3.00. I will try and post a picture.
 
I have a latch that works really well. I would love to take credit for it but it was copied from a friend of mine, Brudell Pitts in Atlanta. It requires just a little bit of fabrication of a bracket that bolts to the left side of the roll bar using one of the existing bolts. You'll also have to attach a pin to the long canopy tubing that slides into a hole in the bracket. This coming winter I am going to make a new roll bar to incorporate everything into one piece. Will also round off the top of the roll bar like I've seen some guys do.

With the canopy open using this latch, the canopy is about 3-4" up from the rail. This is more than enough to get a really good airflow. I live in St Loius which is not known for dry cool summers. Even on the hottest most humid days as soon as I get the engine started I stay plenty cool. The only problem is blowing my hat off when I run up the power to taxi. I can start, idle & taxi with it open but obviously need to close it for the mag checks.

I don't have pictures on my computer but plan on going to the hangar today and will take lots of pictures to post. If anyone wants higher res pictures than what I'll post later PM or e-mail me.
Oly
 
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Cool it!

Anyone have a latch designed that will keep my 4's canopy open 4 to 6 inches on the taxi way to allow cool air inside? I was transitioning from medium well to well done last Sunday headed to departure end and blew the top off.

This is a simple system I put on my RV4 back in 97'. This is a customer's RV4 I installed my system on using a 5/16 -6" bolt with the head sawed off. A throttle knob threads on the threaded end, drill small hole at other end. Lower canopy until skirt aligns with roll-bar at desired height. Mark inside of skirt and roll bar. Drill through roll bar and skirt. (hardest part) Install plastic bushing in roll-bar. Slide pin in, then place washer and cotter key. Leave 1" from hole to end of bolt. Lower canopy and fine tune/test alignment. You must notch the top of the skirt so the pin can pass through going up and down. After a few tries, sliding the pin in the hole while sitting in the cockpit becomes second nature. On my RV4 I used a Nautilus pin, larger with a steel loop welded to the end in lieu of the knob and a .040 doubler around the hole in skirt.

Email me off line with any questions. :)
V/R
Smokey
[email protected]

PS: Also visible is my Home Depot Aviation department canopy hold back device...


 
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Canopy Latch

Mike,

No I don't think I want to "test" how much I can run up the engine before the canopy blows off. I close & lock the canopy in the down position before doing the runup & mag checks. Plus if you did there would be a LOT of wind blast in the cockpit.

Oly
 
I have it

In my new to me RV4, I looked and I see that I have this lol lol, plus I have the safety latch and a lock for the canopy. I?m sure I will find more neat things as time goes on.

Tim
 
Anyone have a latch designed that will keep my 4's canopy open 4 to 6 inches ...

No need to open it that far to get plenty of outside air. 1 to 1 1/2" is plenty. If you're an engineer, swing an arc from the canopy hinge thru the existing holes in the instrument panel and aft bulkhead and drill two new holes. Not an engineer, then just come up an inch and over 1/32". Like this.

Only reason to add more hardware is if you lack the room to drill secondary holes.

Tony
 
RV-4 taxi position lock for canopy

I have read some of the fixes for holding the canopy open for taxi. :confused: I have seen some pilots with their hand between the canopy and cockpit rail while taxiing. :rolleyes:

I like things that are easy. But that is a little TOO easy......:D

Here is a fix that has worked for me for 1200+ hours:

Follow the arc that your canopy locking mechanism rod follows along the panel and your rear seat back bulkhead (likely both scratched some from the rod scraping your paint). Measure 1 3/8 inches up from the canopy lock hole on both your panel and the rear bulkhead following that arc. How far up you measure is dependent on where your locking hole actually is as all are likely slightly different. Make sure where your locking rod touches there without torqueing the canopy any and mark both places. Drill another hole (I believe mine is 7/16" but go smaller first to make sure the rod aligns with both, front and back) on both the panel and the bulkhead. Now you have holes that match up to your canopy locking holes exactly, just a little higher and will hold the canopy while taxiing, and even with a full throttle runup as the canopy is essentially locked as it would be in flight, just not down and locked. PLENTY of air gets through. In all the people I've taken flying, only one (a 12 year old Young Eagle said as we were taxiing out "is this gap supposed to be like this?:D)

The FIRST item in my pre-departure check list (that I actually always say out loud, even solo) is: canopy down and locked; seat belts locked; boost pump on; flaps 20 degrees; gas right/left tank; recognition lights on; nav lights on; timer. I also have a micro switch that the locking rod hits forward of the panel when the canopy IS down and locked that turns off a yellow CANOPY WARNING LIGHT when the canopy is, indeed, down and locked.

Simple. KIS. I have a nylon hole grommet on the panel and nothing in the back hole. Neither hole nor the rod shows any wear. Make sure when you drill the panel hole you are below the flange of the panel itself. Mine is just below that. There are no interference issues in the bulkhead. I have used this for so long I know exactly where it is without even looking at it as I raise (or lower) the canopy and lock it there. And you can see the hole when you are seated in the front office.

I could probably provide pictures if you need them.....my phone doesn't like to download photos to the computer.....:rolleyes: Hope this is helpful....works like a dream.........
 
Hi,

I have a PowerPoint file of photos of different (RV-4) canopy hold-open latches. I have accumulated these over a number of years as I looked for a design for my own -4. (I'm still looking - or procrastinating.) If there is a means to post this file to a public location on VansAirforce, I would be happy to do so, so all could share.

Regards,

Dean
 
Here is my set up. I'm careful to hold the canopy on run up but it works well taxing and is simple to do.
 
I think mine is the same as Oly's. I can not take credit for the original design, only building one up from a random picture off the interwebs.

I like it because it is totally automatic. As you set the canopy down, it locks in the 'vent' position. Then use the normal handle to lower and lock for takeoff.

Back.jpgFront.jpgFront Catch.jpg


Standard Pin.jpgClosed.jpgMid Pin.jpg
 
Hi,

I have a PowerPoint file of photos of different (RV-4) canopy hold-open latches. I have accumulated these over a number of years as I looked for a design for my own -4. (I'm still looking - or procrastinating.) If there is a means to post this file to a public location on VansAirforce, I would be happy to do so, so all could share.

Regards,

Dean

If you can convert it to PDF, you can post it directly to VAF. Use the 'Attachments' (Paperclip). Its made things here MUCH better!
 
I like this one too

A friend and well known RV guy on here..Pat Hatch, had this type on his. I have been flying mine for 11 years and still haven't built my latch, but this will likely be the one I install. This latch is actuated by the normal latch handle and drops into a hole in the roll bar. Pat also installed a simple lock that integrates into the mechanism just to keep the riff-raff out.
 

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If you do it as in post #14 you won't have to do this (from RV-3B), but the two extra holes (instrument panel and back bulkhead) is definitely my preferred solution:
 

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My RV-4

This is for a 2" opening. You may be able to avoid adding brackets to move the tubes inboard and just drill the extra holes for a smaller opening. Be aware of any conflict with nutplate on forward side.

With my old RV-3 I was able to fly the pattern with this solution (not intentionally).

Finn
 

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SuzieQ Canopy latch for taxiing.....

Here are some photos.........

Both the front (panel) and the rear (bulkhead). The canopy in the taxi position also shows the offset bracket made to secure the canopy latch rod to the canopy frame. I'm not sure what the original plans showed. This is my design, I believe. It has never shown any signs of stress or compromise. You can see the ventilation gap it provides. Again: full throttle run with it open: no movement at all as it is firmly locked in place.
 
Well, there WERE some photos..............
 

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Two more...........

Two more that didn't upload
 

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If you can convert it to PDF, you can post it directly to VAF. Use the 'Attachments' (Paperclip). Its made things here MUCH better!

Hi Nick,

Thanks for the help. Attached please find my collected photos.

Regards,

Dean
 

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3D print

No need to open it that far to get plenty of outside air. 1 to 1 1/2" is plenty. If you're an engineer, swing an arc from the canopy hinge thru the existing holes in the instrument panel and aft bulkhead and drill two new holes. Not an engineer, then just come up an inch and over 1/32". Like this.

Only reason to add more hardware is if you lack the room to drill secondary holes.

Tony

Thanks, I am 3d printing fittings based upon your idea.
 
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