I am a 15 year Husky pilot and bought my 7 a few years ago. I have had ZERO issues with it and its nice to have a bush plane and a traveling machine. The issue I have is I am used to the safety of my Husky and just feel more comfortable in it. I live in the mountains where an engine failure would be to say the least " interesting " in my RV compared to my Husky. Are most of the guys carrying some sort of hatchet to break the canopy as an escape route? I never really worried about mu Husky as it gas a tubular canopy over head. Just wondering what everyone else has done. What is the general opinion on the safety factor of these planes as far as structural integrity?
Van's Air Force
Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.
RV 7 Safety
- Thread starter Robb
- Start date
ChuckGant
Well Known Member
This is what I have:
https://www.amazon.com/Lifehammer-LH-RET-O1-Emergency-Tool-Orange/dp/B000BN3A4Y
Check out this video:
https://youtu.be/fRvQxGl4kt4
https://www.amazon.com/Lifehammer-LH-RET-O1-Emergency-Tool-Orange/dp/B000BN3A4Y
Check out this video:
https://youtu.be/fRvQxGl4kt4
Canopy Breaker Tool
The Lifehammer obviously does the job. There are several such hammers on the market. One thing they lack is a loop down the shaft which acts as a guard to protect your fingers. You will typically find this type of breaker on buses and trains in Europe. We used a canopy breaker tool in military aircraft, and instead of swinging it like a hammer, we were trained to put our other hand on the bottom and use both hands to thrust up to the canopy. The blade on top was curved, and you always wanted the blade toward you so that a glancing blow would travel away from your head instead of toward it! I have a fuel sampling tube attached to the back of the front seat of my RV-8. It has a straight blade screwdriver head at the bottom. Held with two hands, it can also serve as a canopy breaker tool, and I brief passengers on how to use it.
The Lifehammer obviously does the job. There are several such hammers on the market. One thing they lack is a loop down the shaft which acts as a guard to protect your fingers. You will typically find this type of breaker on buses and trains in Europe. We used a canopy breaker tool in military aircraft, and instead of swinging it like a hammer, we were trained to put our other hand on the bottom and use both hands to thrust up to the canopy. The blade on top was curved, and you always wanted the blade toward you so that a glancing blow would travel away from your head instead of toward it! I have a fuel sampling tube attached to the back of the front seat of my RV-8. It has a straight blade screwdriver head at the bottom. Held with two hands, it can also serve as a canopy breaker tool, and I brief passengers on how to use it.
Sam Buchanan
been here awhile
I brief my passengers to use the passenger control stick as a canopy breaker. Hope I never need to test its effectiveness.
I do the same. (I have the bottom end of the tube cut to a tapered point.)
Pat Stewart
Well Known Member
I have the same hammer and I have also thought if required I could also use the fire extinguisher.
ArVeeNiner
Well Known Member
Now that's a great idea. I'm going to start doing that too.
Not to be a buzz-killer....but for those planning on using the sharpened end of the passenger stick as a canopy breaker, do you have a set of wrenches taped to the stick to remove the nut and bolt specified by Service Bulletin 07-2-6 (which wants you to fasten the stick so it can't be accidentally pulled out by someone flying from the right seat)?
rzbill
Well Known Member
Is there anybody that actually paid attention to that SB? Bolts? Really?
A McMaster Carr spring button is just as secure and needs no tools.
Captain Avgas
Well Known Member
+1 Same here for the spring button. Totally secure and virtually instantaneous to remove the stick if required.
Until it isn't. I doubt there would have been an SB in the first place if the stick hadn't popped out on someone who had used the McMaster button.
I don't have a "lawyer" bolt in the right stick of my airplane.
I have a pip pin.
The original reason for Service Bulletin 07-2-6 was an incident where the stick had no type of fastener holding it in place (and IMHO the person manipulating the stick obviously had very little understanding of how to manipulate a stick to control an airplane).
I have a pip pin.
The original reason for Service Bulletin 07-2-6 was an incident where the stick had no type of fastener holding it in place (and IMHO the person manipulating the stick obviously had very little understanding of how to manipulate a stick to control an airplane).
Back in the early '90s........
Actually it CAN happen with an experienced pilot. In the early days my friend had no retaining mechanism on the passenger stick. An experienced pilot was flying from the right seat in moderate turbulence. A pretty good down draft caused him to pull the stick out of the socket. He immediately handed the stick to the pilot and said, "Here Red, you fly for a while."
And if you don't recognize the name "Red", you're not a true old time RVer.
Very shortly thereafter, we installed a retainer on the passenger stick.
Actually it CAN happen with an experienced pilot. In the early days my friend had no retaining mechanism on the passenger stick. An experienced pilot was flying from the right seat in moderate turbulence. A pretty good down draft caused him to pull the stick out of the socket. He immediately handed the stick to the pilot and said, "Here Red, you fly for a while."
And if you don't recognize the name "Red", you're not a true old time RVer.
Very shortly thereafter, we installed a retainer on the passenger stick.
I actually use a PIP pin as well in my -8. The -6 has a bolt, and I have just never gotten around to finding the right size PIP pin to replace it. I do believe that a positive lock is a good idea!
Paul
