Wow Rudi! That was quite a harrowing experience! Glad you had a good outcome.
I don't know why the canopy on my KR would react any differently, but I have forgotten to latch it a few times. My forward tilting canopy will raise up about 1/8 of an inch at the back and is stable in that position. It won't push open and you can't pull it that last tiny bit to close it. The first time I did that I noticed a cool breeze being sucked in under my legs, but didn't notice why until I landed at my destination 1 1/2 hours later and found that I had left the locking pins out of the canopy. However, Rudi's story really emphasizes the need to make sure your canopy is properly latched. It also emphasizes the need for a passive or secondary latch on canopies should they come unlatched in flight. One last thing about engineering a canopy system is that one should be able to unlatch it from outside for rescue. This is something I did not do when I built my KR, but is also somthing that crosses my mind every time I drop the locking pins into my canopy from inside. -Jeff Scott Los Alamos, NM > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Rudi Venter > Sent: 10/09/12 08:02 AM > To: KRnet > Subject: KR> What happens when the canopy opens? > > Hi to all the KR'ers out there! > > Have you ever wondered what would happen if your canopy opens in flight? > I suppose it depends on the way the canopy opens and other factors! Here > is a short article I wrote on what happened to me, some of you might > have read it but if not have a look, and then make sure it will NEVER > happen to you....... > > In my 2000+ hours of flying, including test flying a few new planes and > 6 engine failures this was by far the scariest thing that ever happened > to me. > > http://rudix.5gbfree.com/ZS-VYZ/Stories/oops.htm > > On a brighter note, ZS-VYZ is just about repaired, I also did a few > mods, a priming system and 2 additional canopy latches! > > Fly safe, > Rudi > > > ----- > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 2013.0.2677 / Virus Database: 2591/5797 - Release Date: 09/28/12 > Internal Virus Database is out of date. > > > > _______________________________________ > Search the KRnet Archives at http://tugantek.com/archmailv2-kr/search. > To UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to krnet-le...@mylist.net > please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html
