cjensen

cjensen

Well Known Member
I'd like to see some pictures from those of you that installed the tip up canopy jettison behind the panel. I'm not sure yet if I am going to install it at all, but if I do, it's not going on the panel, but at the sub-panel.

TIA!
 
Quick response Bill! Thanks, those pics help immensly! I never gave that way of installing it a thought. I like it!:cool:
 
When I first started this part of the canopy project, I figured, "sure, I'll put it in, why not?"

Now that I've built -- pretty much -- the rest of it, my only thought is "are you kidding me?"

The little ground-down bolts (now "pins") are handy for taking the frame on and off for the 10 zillion times you have to do it at this stage, but once I built the rest of the frame and fit the canopy and all, I realized what a joke (again, this is only my opinion) the whole concept of an in-flight canopy jettison is. First, the only reason I'd do it is if I had a parachute. That's not likely. But, second, it seems to me that even if I could fly the plane while getting the canopy jettisoned (doubtful), everything has to go perfectly when it finally blows. And maybe it will...but it also seems likely it'll take my head off or, if I'm lucky enough to get that far, it takes out my VS.

So the advantage of it, it seems to me is getting it quickly off on the ground. Well, if it's an emergency landing, being an "A" and all, I'm probably going to be upside down. So that's not going to work. And I can more easily accomplish getting it off by banging the **** out of it with a heavy tool, which I think I'll use in exchange for the weight penalty of the Van's system.

To me, there's a whole lot of weight there, with no real good reason.

But, again, that's just me. I certainly respect the decisions of others.
 
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I agree completely Bob. The only reason I'm still considering putting it in, is simply for ground maintenance. I like Bill's setup behind the panel. I am still just considering putting it in at this point because of the weight penalty.:)
 
I put the mechanism in, but not the rip out channels by the hinges. I never intended to jettison the canopy, but the ease of removing the canopy was worth it to me. I turned the handle so it is horizontal and does not get in the way of the avionics. Anytime I need to work on the back of the panel (which admittedly is not often) it only takes seconds to remove tha canopy. One pull as I left up from the inside and Rich lifts from the outside. And I'm sitting in the seat instead of standing on my head.

Roberta
 
Tip up canopy

I have a flying RV6 with a tip up canopy. The hole in the IP Panel I thought was objectionable. Bill Repucci's photo shows partly what I did. All my part numbers are for RV6. Bill's picture shows a tube extending down from belcrank Wd-619. I added a second hinge block at the bottom of panel F-668 spacing it out with a bracket like channel F-697 and added a second pivot block to support the end of the tube extension. I took Lever Wd-618 and overlaid a wooden handle on the long part of the lever attaching it with two screws and nuts. I attached it to the lower end of the tube extension with a single bolt thru the lever and tube and secured it with a nut. Wih my canopy pivots locked the handle is pointing left just clear of the bottom edge of the sub panel by about one inch. To release the hinges I push the handle forward. I have removed my canopy several times since I started flying and would strongly reccommend keeping this feature in some form or you will live to regret it. I have had many problems keeping the P-strip rubber seal in place on the front bulkhead. MY latest attempt was to remove the the two sided self stick tape from the P-strip using a solvent like naptha to clean the surface and I mounted it using 3M Super Weatherstrip Adhesive Yellow. This job is easyest done with the canopy removed. Sorry I did not photograph these parts during constuction.

Norman Donaldson
[email protected]
RV6 with 74 hours
 
If you don't intend to use the canopy jettison in flight, then Bill's method is the best. I have installed several that way. BTW, the canopy jettison will not work in flight if you have the lift struts. The struts were not a part of the original RV-6 design.
I personally wear a chute when doing acro. I do not have, and will never have the struts. But that's a personal thing.
The weight of the jettison mechanism is minimal.
I've had my canopy off probably 4 or 5 times in the last 15 years.
 
might be pointless, but it looks cool having a handle on the panel that says "CAUTION: CANOPY JETTISON" Its kinda like having that famous red button you never get to push...

"What ever you do... DONT PUSH THE RED BUTTON!!!"

:D
 
I like Bill's idea, and I did mine the same way, but with one difference: I eliminated the T handle entirely. Originally I had it installed like Bill, but I found that it rattled around too much. I got rid of it. It is not much effort to reach up behind the panel, grab ahold of the control arm and move it 90 deg to release the canopy.

Use the hole in the arm that was meant to attach the T handle to, and drill a 3/16 hole through it and the rib, put a nutplate in the rib and use a AN3 bolt to safety it closed.

Wish I had a picture.
 
Chad,
This is shamelessly copied from someone else, but I can't remember who. I installed the release and just terminated it at the sub-panel with an adel clamp.



 
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