On Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at 06:39:53 AM PST, Mark Langford <m...@n56ml.com> wrote: The recently released Pete Klapp accident investigation update See https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103795
*************************************** A forward-hinged canopy has always seemed to me a safer way to do things . . . safer and convenient in all ways than side-hinged. Knowing how dangerous it is for a canopy to come off, I've got glued to my glare shield the question "Canopy locked?" It's the only written "checklist" I've ever used or needed with mine. A reminder of a critical last-minute thing to check. For a forward-hinged canopy (as opposed to the usual side-hinged) to ruin a plane seems unusual, but I'm certainly not knowledgeable enough to bring anything useful to this topic. However, ignorance has never stopped me before so I can't help but add my two cents. Sure is/was a gorgeous KR. I've met Bill Clapp but don't remember ever meeting or hearing about Pete Clapp. Googling it just now I see he didn't survive. Looking at his predictable-appearing line of flight following take-off I'm guessing he would have been fine if he hadn't hit water. I somehow have missed any news about this accident. Most KR pilots somehow walk away from KR crashes that leave the plane - as with this one - a pile of splinters. Hitting water at speed is as bad as hitting a brick wall. He clearly spent a lot of time making this KR an especially nice one. I've got a safety clamp that automatically engages should I ever be so foolish as to forget to lock my canopy. It's an easy, inexpensive and foolproof bit of insurance against this ever happening to me. I'll post a picture of it later and add it to a KRNET post. Might save someone's life. Canopy failures have been responsible for more than their share of KR crashes over the years. The aerodynamics seem to be so drastically impaired by the loss of a canopy that it seems the plane just won't fly without one - although Rudi's post seems to indicate they will. Ken Rand's first KR (including other KR's I've seen pictures of over the years) just had a small windscreen . . . no canopy at all. Reading Kathryn's Report just now it seems this one was flying under control . . . until he hit a very small pond. What bad luck! I need to go through the list of attachments Mark has posted before I make any more dumb questions or comments. So far I only have looked at the first link (pictures). ******************************* Regarding the name John Schaeffer . . . is he the one who was test flying a sleek Czech import (Sport Cruiser?) a few years ago and incurred very serious injuries (perhaps death?) The name rings a bell since I knew an old fellow near Albuquerque that was building that same aircraft before old age caught up with him. Mike StirewaltKSEE
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