Parachute choices

[bifft]

Originally Posted by Sparrowhwk

Paul,
Is there more than one jettison system being employed on RV-8's??

I put vertical cuts in my canopy rails about three inches back from the front. If I'm pushing up on the canopy as it passes that spot it easily comes out and up. (When practicing on the ground anyway, haven't tried in flight). Don't remember who I copied this method from.

The only person to get out of an RV-8 in flight (sadly without a parachute) did use the removable pins method.

Regarding what parachute to use, I have a butler seat pack. Even with the tall pilot option I barely have enough leg room, but have plenty of head room (6'4"). Use it with no cushions at all. Wear it every flight I'm not carrying a passenger (seems rude for me to have a chute, but not one for the person in back).

[Lt Dan]

Very interesting. Does anyone have a picture of these removable pins?

[PhatRV]

I created this canopy jettison mechanism so that I could easily slide the canopy past the fiberglass trim and jettison it. Basically it is a ratchet strap device I bought from HomeDepot. The handle design reminds me of the 5point ratchet handle on aerobatic airplane that I can firm wrap my hand and ratchet the canopy rearward. The long strap was trimmed down to about 4 feet. This strap is rated at 500 lbs and I think it is more than sufficient to pop the canopy up the sliding block and rearward, and counteract against the aerodynamic force. The quick release seen in the picture should allow me to punch the canopy clear into the airstream.

Talking to a local RV8 pilot who regularly flies formation, he said he was able to manually slide the canopy rearward when he flies less than 125mph so perhaps this is overkill. But this contraption is simple, and it weights only about 2 lbs

I have been thinking of how to slide the RV8 canopy rearward and this is my idea.

[donaziza]

Originally Posted by PhatRV

I created this canopy jettison mechanism so that I could easily slide the canopy past the fiberglass trim and jettison it. Basically it is a ratchet strap device I bought from HomeDepot. The handle design reminds me of the 5point ratchet handle on aerobatic airplane that I can firm wrap my hand and ratchet the canopy rearward. The long strap was trimmed down to about 4 feet. This strap is rated at 500 lbs and I think it is more than sufficient to pop the canopy up the sliding block and rearward, and counteract against the aerodynamic force. The quick release seen in the picture should allow me to punch the canopy clear into the airstream.

Talking to a local RV8 pilot who regularly flies formation, he said he was able to manually slide the canopy rearward when he flies less than 125mph so perhaps this is overkill. But this contraption is simple, and it weights only about 2 lbs

I have been thinking of how to slide the RV8 canopy rearward and this is my idea.

I've got an 8, and I'm trying to picture how this works. Please don't think me rude, but it ?looks? like you pull on the rachet handle--the strap goes around a pully, or something, and then up to the hook pulling the canopy aft. But then the canopy would be flailing in the air still attached to these hooks. I'm not seeing this correctly, right?? Can you do a bigger picture??

[PhatRV]

The strap goes around the mid roll bar. The thought of the canopy flailing in with the strap did cross my mind but when I do punch out, not able to get the canopy sliding off to punch out is a greater concern for me. I hope the open hook will get detached from the frame but I try not to over think this. BTW, I plan to wear a helmet.

[rv8ch]

Originally Posted by PhatRV

... not able to get the canopy sliding off to punch out is a greater concern for me. ...

I never considered that I would not be able to open the canopy. Since there has been at least one guy that got it open, I had assumed that I could too, if needed.

[fl-mike]

Originally Posted by bifft

(seems rude for me to have a chute, but not one for the person in back).

I just tell them that if something happens, I'll go for help....

Regarding canopy opening, I think the lift on the 8 canopy is much less than the side-by-side sliders. I think you could pull it back enough to clear the windscreen fairing.

[claycookiemonster]

What experience or prediction does anyone have with a tip over -8 canopy as far as opening it in flight goes?
I guess the challenge of rolling the aft portion backwards is gone, and once the canopy is opened a bit, it may WHOOSH away asymetrically? If the canopy produces lift, that lift will be up and to the starboard side of things. So it is likely to hit the VS and I will not have a safe space behind a forward windscreen to consider my next move. Have I got it about right? I'm not sure how the mid-cockpit roll bar will affect this.

[RV8JD]

Originally Posted by Lt Dan

Very interesting. Does anyone have a picture of these removable pins?

For those who haven't seen them before:

No changes to the bolt hole. Just replace the bolts with pip pins. Attach a short lanyard to pull them out in an emergency. Here is the one from McMaster-Carr:

https://www.mcmaster.com/92384A013/

Pip pin installed in my previous RV-8:

As others have mentioned, 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.

https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/Re...=HTML&IType=FA

Another thread on the subject of opening the RV-8 canopy (probably a better location for the last several posts): https://vansairforce.net/community/s...d.php?t=211972

[PhatRV]

Originally Posted by rv8ch

I never considered that I would not be able to open the canopy. Since there has been at least one guy that got it open, I had assumed that I could too, if needed.

A local RV8 pilot confirmed he could open the canopy at 125mph and lower, but other pilots have stated that it is not possible to do at greater than 150mph. I've seen one private video that at moderate speed, the canopy will move forward a bit due to the positive air pressure at the back of the canopy. At this speed, the test pilot confirmed the canopy could not be opened. This ratchet is a piece of mind for me, just like wearing a parachute.