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Slider Vs Tip Up?

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Nice illustration of the matter. I have been going back and fourth with my decision of canopy choice! I have been thinking it would be nice if I could figure out a way to modify the -7 canopy to have the same changes as the new 14. From what I heard it has even better visibility due to taller canopy and lower side rails. I believe the factory even changed the hinge type on the 14 so it doesn't leak? Cool stuff.
 
Call me chicken, or turkey vulture, I just want a little more protection. We have a lot of those Canadian honkers around here. + 1 slider for me :D
 
Bret, our big birds don't fly down under, poor design ya know, weak main spars and very high wing loading poor buggers, thank god, imagine dodging emus in flight so perhaps not a consideration for me.

Turkey vulture, mmm sounds tasty as well as hungry. Well just about everything goes well with Maple syrup, now you got me thinking Turkey vulture bacon with scrambled emu egg (trust me just one) drizzled with good ol Liquid Candian gold.

I think all these never ending debates can simply be summarised by choosing options that will fulfil desired mission or closest compromise.

Great thing is we as builders get to chose exactly what we think that is and build accordingly.

I just posted the pictures cause I was wanting to see a similar representation of the differences when I had to make the choice, thought others might be interested.
 
Slider for me

I have flown in both. Love the visibility and panel access in a tip-up, however, when I land in the heat in my slider, I can't wait to open it up and cool down. Besides, it's just cool hanging your elbow out.
 
-1 on sliders; +1 on tip-ups. I still like the ultimate visibility of the tip-up design. I'll work to figure out how to seal it, tho... (there's no free lunch)
 
I'm used to flying Cherokees and Cessnas. Anything is an improvement... and that goes for the canopy, too.
 
If fighter jets can get by with a canopy rail or HUD frame in the pilot's field of view, where seeing other aircraft is kinda important, I'm sure a slider in an RV will be OK. :)
 
Tip UP

Tip Up +2. Awesome visibility. That's what its all about. I flew in a RV-7A with slider a couple of times. That vertical bar in the middle? You gotta be kidding me. So the tip-up gets a little warm on the ground, big deal.
 
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flybill7 said:
Tip Up +2. Awesome visibility. That's what its all about. I flew in a RV-7A with slider a couple of times. That vertical bar in the middle? You gotta be kidding me. So the tip-up gets a little warm on the ground, big deal.
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Ummm, spoken by a Nor-Easterner. Spend a summer or two down in the southern tier states and you might have a change of heart on that
. . .gets a little warm on the ground, big deal.
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statement.
 
Tip-Up

I can assure you it gets pretty warm in Maryland in the summer. In fact, the canopy is the least of my worries. Because my 7 is polished aluminum, on a hot sunny day the entire plane heats up so much I have to wear gloves getting into it so I don't burn my hands on the hot metal. That would happen with the slider too.
 
RVbySDI said:
Ummm, spoken by a Nor-Easterner. Spend a summer or two down in the southern tier states and you might have a change of heart on that statement.
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Or not :).
We love our tipper. Heck, my -8 project is a tipper too.
 
Slider for me. 105 yesterday and lots of thermals. Very bumpy ride. Cinch down the belts and grab onto the bar for support. After I landed I could not wait to get the canopy open for some of that hot air.
 
flybill7 said:
I can assure you it gets pretty warm in Maryland in the summer. In fact, the canopy is the least of my worries. Because my 7 is polished aluminum, on a hot sunny day the entire plane heats up so much I have to wear gloves getting into it so I don't burn my hands on the hot metal. That would happen with the slider too.
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Well, last night I was watching the weather on the local newscast. At 10:15pm it was 88 deg F, 68% relative humidity with a dewpoint of 74 deg F. That put the heat index around 97 deg F. As Doug stated on the front page today; Shade is "heart healthy" around here also. In these conditions even sitting in the shade is uncomfortable. In most instances on a return from a cross country flight, when I descend below ~3000' there is an instantaneous opening of the flood gates. As soon as the wheels touch down the slider comes open to get any relief possible.

I think the visibility on the tip up is fantastic. I would love to have it myself but being as I have an insufferable propensity to overheat very easily, the slider won out because of the ability to quickly get airflow in the cockpit on the ground. Not to mention, I love the slider/tipper option I installed that allows for easy access from above to the baggage area.
slider%2520tipup%2520large.JPG


scard said:
Or not :).
We love our tipper. Heck, my -8 project is a tipper too.
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You guys have a great plane. I cannot wait to check out the 8 when you finish it. No doubt in my mind it is going to be a super plane also.
 
RVbySDI said:
Ummm, spoken by a Nor-Easterner. Spend a summer or two down in the southern tier states and you might have a change of heart on that statement.
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I've spent 70 summers down here, over 20 with my tip-up, and still wouldn't trade.
 
Another for the tip-up

I certainly agree that different folks should make different choices and one should go with what they want. I believe the chose is really between whether you want to look cool on the ground (definately slider) or look cool in the air (tip-up, for sure). I hate the slider's bar in my vision, although the thought that it might enhance safety is an interesting one. I wonder if there is any evidence to back up that thought? The slider bar is a real pain that pretty much prevents great air-to-air photos.

I consider the "less hot on the ground" argument mostly a red-herring. Once the tip-up is popped up on roll-out and while taxiing, the cooling breeze is very effective. I have never chosen to fly our slider-equipped plane over one of the tip-up/tip-over planes because the temperature was elevated in Houston. The difference just isn't noticeable (to me).
 
I am a Tip-Up-Aholic

My name is .... and I am a Tip-Up-Aholic for the past 2 1/2 years.

Here in Tucson Arizona where it gets real hot in summer we have several RV's in the area.

Of the RV 6/7/9's that were built in Tucson that I know personally, 7 are tip-ups and 2 are sliders. So 78% are tip-ups.

If you are worried about being hot while taxing, just open the tip-up canopy to the vent position and enjoy. If its 100+ degrees out on the tarmac I don't believe either canopy configuration is going to make it more comfortable, its just hot. If you have a Kroger Sunshade it still works well with the canopy in the vent position (not so with sunshade in a slider with canopy open).

When I fly my tip-up I truly forget I have a canopy in front of me. When I have flown in sliders I am always reminded of the roll bars presence.

I have come to grips with tip-up addition and I am proud to call myself a Tip-Up-Aholic.
 
Pmerems said:
When I fly my tip-up I truly forget I have a canopy in front of me.
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That's a problem with tip-ups. I get smudge prints on the inside of it when I reach out to point at something as if there was no canopy. ;)
 
This may be like religion: almost impossible to change someone's mind.

While there may be some safety benefit to the slider and there's certainly a bit of visibility difference... I'm shallow and like the slider because it looks cooler.

Now if only my wife, who's just learning to fly, wanted to pilot a tail dragger. :)
 
When I watched the RV promotional DVD years ago they said the slider had more sex appeal than the tip-up. I figured I could use all the help I could get. :D
 
Tip up Sail Plane?

Is there an issue with Tip Ups getting caught by a gust of wind and tearing off?
What about water leaking into the electronics after a drizzle?
The slider canopy seems a lot more claustrophobic, but seems to offer more protection and ease of entry.
Is one easier to build?
I guess you are right...you gotta go with what you like.
 
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Bud K said:
I have flown in both. Love the visibility and panel access in a tip-up, however, when I land in the heat in my slider, I can't wait to open it up and cool down. Besides, it's just cool hanging your elbow out.
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I built my tip-up to fly, not taxi around the airport trying to look cool. ;)

java said:
That's a problem with tip-ups. I get smudge prints on the inside of it when I reach out to point at something as if there was no canopy. ;)
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On my Wife's first flight I almost broke my hand on the canopy pointing to something.

As for the roll bar discussion, the bar just behind the pilot's head is a roll bar and I think it would be better to have the roll bar in that location rather than a few feet in front, where it may or may not provide protection. Truth is, they have both saved pilots.
 
N941WR said:
I built my tip-up to fly, not taxi around the airport trying to look cool. ;)
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Nothing better, than throwing that slider wide open, just as you roll off the main runway on a hot day. It's just refreshing, refreshing, and refreshing!

Beats the **** out of suffocating...:eek:
 
L.Adamson said:
Nothing better, than throwing that slider wide open, just as you roll off the main runway on a hot day. It's just refreshing, refreshing, and refreshing!

Beats the **** out of suffocating...:eek:
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There is simply no convincing people that haven't tried both - you can do the exact same thing by opening up the Tip-up while rolling down the runway, and get the same results. Sheesh folks - they give you the same amount of ventilation, so argue about something else!
 
Curious... what would happen if you had the tip-up partially open and you got a 20kt gust from behind all of a sudden?
 
grayforge said:
Curious... what would happen if you had the tip-up partially open and you got a 20kt gust from behind all of a sudden?
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Not all are the same but I have a slot in the roll bar that the secondary latch tab fits in. Quite secure (and good ventilation) in the partially open position.
 
Bird strike?

I am wrong quite often, but all the photos I have seen of broken canopies due to birdstikes seems to be sliders. Maybe the tipup has more flex in case of a bird strike, compared to the rigid slider windscreen, and therefore less photos of broken tipup canopies...
 
Question for Multiple Offenders Only

1. How many builders that have built multiple RV's started with a tip-up and then built another one. Granted, tip-ups are limited to certain models.

2. After your second (or ? number) how satisfied were you with the ability to result in a precision fit of the slider/tip-up?
 
I did a tipper, I have flown in both and as it has been stated when taxing propping open a tipper offers plenty of ventilation and having the sun shade also really helps.
Each one has to decided, and it is a hard decision that you almost have to live with unless you want to get back in the construction phase again. :)

You'll enjoy which ever you decide.

Smilin' Jack
 
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