Crotch Strap/ Upside down venture
From my previous posts:
I installed Hookers in my 6A. I bought the 7 crotchstrap kit but did not use it. I used 5/8 inch high strength bolts and two large steel washers per rib. I pre-drilled the washers (used as strengthening doublers) so I could pop rivet them on either side of the ribs similar to the fuel drain fittings on your wing tanks.
Remember, all this work is done via 90 degree drill and between some narrow rib spacing.
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Frank Eldridge (deceased) had this happen to him and wrote and spoke about his being thrown into the baggage area of his 6A. He was upside down with the plane partially in a wet area. He pulled his 5-6" pocket knife out and chipped out a large enough area on the rear baggage area to crawl out of the plane. Later I crawled back in that hole to recover some personal items for him. His only injury in the accident was a cut on his head from being cut by the plexiglass.
His best advice, some of which you will read in the links I added in the tribute I wrote a few weeks ago under the forum 'RV Friends Who Have Passed On' suggested:
1) Buy and wear the best seat belt/shoulder harnesses you can afford
2) Always carry a sharp knife on your person to use to break the canopy out.
I was on-scene within moments of Frank's accident. I helped recover the airplane and helped in the NTSB investigation. Frank's RV was kept in my hanger. I am very familiar with this accident and the excellent protection the RV-6A design provided.
So, with this experience as a background, I have a canopy breaker tool from an F-4 mounted on the back side of my 6A flap motor mount. I have a strong folding hunting knife in a side pocket. I installed Hooker harnesses along with a strong crotch strap. I used removeable 'gear' pins to hold my slider canopy on the front canopy mounts.
From one of Frank's articles:
--> RV-List message posted by: "Frank Eldridge"
January 1, 2003, I had a forced landing in a RV6A. After a ground roll of about
20 feet in a swampy area the plane ended up on its back. I found myself in
the baggage compartment unhurt. I had always thought that I could kick plexiglass
in the canopy out, but I could not. I always carry a pocket knife with a three
inch locking blade and I was able to take that knife and break a hole in
the canopy to get out. The only blood in the airplane was where I cut my hands
on the plexiglass breaking a larger hole in order to extract myself. I strongly
recommend to all my RV friends that they carry a knife like mine in their
pocket because in my case I could not have got to a tool in the cockpit of the
airplane. I have followed RV accidents very closely since mine, and a large
number wind up on their back. So, please get a knife and keep it in your pocket
when flying an RV. There is a story about my accident posted on Doug Reeves
Van's Air Force Web page. Here is the link to my particular article:
http://www.vansairforce.net/articles/FrankEldridge0.pdf