Van's Air Force
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Canopy Jettison Handle
- Thread starter mbuto
- Start date
D-Dubya
Well Known Member
Should you open a tip-up canopy in flight using the normal latches, the canopy will reach an equilibrium position where it opens a few inches and you can't open it further or close it completely. So Vans includes the jettison feature in the kit where you can completely release the canopy from the hinge points in the unlikely event that you have to egress the plane with a parachute. With that said, I don't believe there's ever been a documented case where someone has actually used it. At least there hadn't been one when I inquired about this of Van's many years ago. Many builders forgo this feature as being unnecessary and just put bolts or pins in the hinge bracket to free up panel space where the handle would be.
My plane doesn't have a jettison handle and I haven't lost a minute's sleep over it. Almost everyone I know with a tip-up doesn't have it, either. It's up to the builder.
My plane doesn't have a jettison handle and I haven't lost a minute's sleep over it. Almost everyone I know with a tip-up doesn't have it, either. It's up to the builder.
I have first hand experience that the canopy on a tip up that comes open in flight on a 14A will open MUCH more than just a few inches when power is applied. It will come down only when the power comes off but will not be able to be locked down while in flight. Could be different on other models.
The amount the an unlatched tip-up canopy opens in flight is dependent on a number of different factors.
There is an interaction between engine power and actual airspeed, but another is angle of attack (vs power vs airspeed)
Often times, if the canopy becomes unlatched in flight (if this does happen, the latching system should be carefully inspected by someone than knows how it is supposed to operate because if it is assembled and adjust properly, this should not be possible), it can be re-latched by slowing to a low but safe speed above stall and then deploy the flaps fully. This will make the wing fly at a much lower AOA which will make the fuselage be at a much lower AOA as well. This AOA/speed combination can often be enough to allow closing and latching the canopy.
Do this at your own risk; with appropriate measures taken regarding having a lot of altitude for safety, and another person aboard capable of flying the airplane while the left seater is distracted by and is manipulating the canopy.
Desert Rat
Well Known Member
As far as what it actually is; it's a T handle that sits front and center on the panel. When you activate it, it turns a bell crank up near the sub-panel that retracts the canopy hinge pins, i.e. the slipstream is supposed to rip the canopy the rest of the way off, where it may or may not take the top of your head and the vertical stabilizer with it.
Lots of people put it in because of perceived value, lots of people leave it out because of perceived questionable value and undeniable loss of panel space. Some folks have installed the guts but not the T handle so that it's easy to remove the canopy during maintenance.
If you've got a completed airplane and the builder left it out, theres a good chance you have some avionics box mounted in the way, so don't just assume you can stick it in there without first checking to see what you would have to relocate
Lots of options for you here.
If you're concerned about jettisoning, you're probably flying with a helmet anyway
If you're jettisoning, you're getting out. Who cares what happens to the vertical stab?
Desert Rat
Well Known Member
I don't have a dog in this particular hunt, and tend to agree that it's a pretty superfluous mod for most of us. But I think a lot of people care, because both of these points come up on here over and over again.
The OP asked what a canopy jettison handle was and should he have one. I just gave him the common talking points. Now it's up to him to weigh them in his particular situation.
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I have taken-off, ONCE, with the canopy unlatched on my RV-6A. It was different than every explanation I've seen offered herein. Not to say they are wrong, just wasn't MY experience.
First, I was 100'-150' agl before it was clearly recognized as an unsecured canopy. Second, it was rising and floating a bit, up & down, which was somewhat disorienting because the glareshield was moving in my field of vision and distorted my perception of climb angle. I reached up with right hand and grabbed the handle but realized the futility of pulling it to closure. Was able to reach for the throttle to slow, get the nose down, then realized I was descending and about to pass over a row of off-airport buildings. Just 'flew the plane' to about 1,500-2,000 agl before trying to deal with it. With a steady slower speed, leveled-off, the canopy did not bob up & down, and with a slower speed the plane was very controllable.
Was able to clear the housing area (St John's Az) small town, and was then able to easily pull down the handle and latch it, then closed the canopy locking mechanism. For a few seconds thought of returning to land and make a fresh start, a little shaken, but this was the third day of a long cross-country and home was a little more than 1 hr away. Auto-pilot ON, and got back to concentrating on the last leg to home (KFFZ). Yes, there was a big distraction on the taxi/run-up, and failed to latch canopy. Might be much worse if this happened at cruise speeds.
The bobbing glareshield was the MOST distracting, disorienting. After slowing and knowing it was NOT a crisis, the rest was reasonably do-able. I finally plan to install the canopy switch option and connect it to the HDX for another check, after this year's CI. Oh, the T-handle is NOT for bailing in MY plane, label "GRND USE ONLY" for maintenance, convenient. Yes, you must release the gas struts to eject the canopy in-flight, complex concept.
like I said in my post you quoted…
What the canopy does in any given situation is dependent on a number of different factors.
[email protected]
Well Known Member
I bought an RV-6A a few years back and the guy who did the building threw the already bought parts away and put bolts instead.
Now, You just try to get the canopy off with bolts in there. Oh ya and imagine how much work it was for me to install a jettison system after the fact.
Reason was to replace the panel put in new Dynon goodies.
I'll tell you one thing. Make sure you install the jettison system so you can take the canopy off if you want/need to.
I don't care if you put in a cable (that's what I did) or put the handle on the panel.
Just do it.
My luck varies Fixit
Now, You just try to get the canopy off with bolts in there. Oh ya and imagine how much work it was for me to install a jettison system after the fact.
Reason was to replace the panel put in new Dynon goodies.
I'll tell you one thing. Make sure you install the jettison system so you can take the canopy off if you want/need to.
I don't care if you put in a cable (that's what I did) or put the handle on the panel.
Just do it.
My luck varies Fixit
An RV-14 will. The gas struts are part of the hinge mechanism and not in anyway attached to the canopy.
I'd like to see the drawing for that mechanism. I don't understand how that's possible.
Av8torTom
Well Known Member
The jettison release mechanism is completely useless because the gas struts will prevent the canopy from leaving the aircraft. Vans said this was a design oversight.
The canopy jettison release mechanism was designed long before the gas struts were. The original canopy (RV-6) was designed without gas struts. It used a hold-up rod that was detached from the canopy when the canopy was closed. I have never liked the struts and never installed them on my airplane. I did install a second hold-up rod on the passenger side to add rigidity when the canopy was open.
