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| Canopyless flying? http://t18.net/thorpforum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=6528 |
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| Author: | McClendon [ Mon Feb 21, 2011 2:26 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Canopyless flying? |
Has anyone completely removed the canopy to fly open cockpit? Does anyone know if there are any problems associated with doing so? Other than the obvious temperature, wind and noise issues of course. |
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| Author: | leewwalton [ Mon Feb 21, 2011 2:37 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Canopyless flying? |
Mike, Read here .. http://thorp18.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6313 http://thorp18.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6315 |
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| Author: | admin [ Mon Feb 21, 2011 4:41 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Canopyless flying? |
Yes - thanks Lee. I had read all these before. My question is a little different. Based on removing the canopy completely and then going flying. What are your thoughts? Mike *** admin posted for Mike *** |
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| Author: | Fraser MacPhee [ Mon Feb 21, 2011 4:56 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Canopyless flying? |
FWIW, I think you'd be subjected to so much wind, you'd think you were sleeping in the same bed as me after a 2 fer one Shiner Boch/fajita night at Lupe Tortillas. If you look at most open cockpit aircraft, the pilot's head rests on a bulkhead of some sort - I think there's a reason for that. |
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| Author: | leewwalton [ Mon Feb 21, 2011 4:56 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Canopyless flying? |
Mike, I have no personal experience flying with the canopy removed, but from what I've heard there is a buffeting on the tail above a fairly low speed (is it 130 guys?), it's very loud/windy, and not an experience one would enter into voluntarily. A few of the early T-18's went canopy-less briefly, with the original high back, almost all(if not all) of them quickly went to full canopy. |
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| Author: | James Grahn [ Mon Feb 21, 2011 7:49 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Canopyless flying? |
I have not done it myself, but I have talked to two people who have. The result is a flight control emergency. There was no way to keep your feet on the rudder pedals at 80 knots. The airflow is completely spoiled around the tail feathers. It was the scariest flight either of these two guys took. I highly do not recommend trying it. If you do, and live, how about writing it up? |
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| Author: | Rich Brazell [ Mon Feb 21, 2011 7:58 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Canopyless flying? |
Have you flown in an open cockpit A/C before ? Not something I want to do for more than 45 min. (did it in a Pete and still have trouble hearing ! )and not in a Thorp. I believe one of the original designs did not have a canopy, but have not seen any ? Must be a reason why they put a hat on the T-18. RB |
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| Author: | thorp11dc [ Mon Feb 21, 2011 8:25 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Canopyless flying? |
There were at least 2 T18s built sans canopy with the high back. John told me that it was too miserable to fly. Dean N11DC |
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| Author: | admin [ Tue Feb 22, 2011 10:08 am ] |
| Post subject: | Canopyless flying? |
One of the first T-18's built was Bob Keargard, Glen Ellyn, IL 1964/5 before the canopy was in the plans. Bob flew it down to TX and back (Dallas or Houston) and had a hard time keeping things inside plus all the wind and noise was bad. There is a picture of this plane on one of the Newsletter covers in the 1990's. Bob lost his T-18 in a hangar fire and built a second one that was in the hands of Ed Burke's son the last I knew. Ed Torbett ** admin posted for Ed *** |
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