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Flying with canopy off?

WingnutWick

Well Known Member
Anyone ever flown their 8 or heard of anyone flying their 8 without a canopy? Forward windscreen on, sliding canopy removed.

- Wingnut
 
It has been done

A couple years ago someone posted that they had done this. It bothered me greatly that it was done for the first time with a passenger in front of a large crowd for the purpose of competing in a flour bombing contest. NEVER do something for the first time in front of an audience and/or with a passenger!

Apparently, there was some buckling or deforming of the turtleneck as the poster later strengthened the area to allow for continued operations in the configuration. A search may turn up the posts.

If you d code to do it, please proceed slowly and carefully in the flight envelope, you will truly be testing.

Scott A Jordan
 
Flying with open doors or removed in the cert'd world takes tests and paperwork for the aircraft.

Smells like a phase 1 type testing entry/reentry @ the FSDO level to me.

The normal flight may be fine. Slips and flap limitations might be investigated and crept up on in case tail surfaces are affected.
 
Canopy

From an engineering standpoint, this has the potential to create unintended consequences due to the disturbed air across the tail section. The best possible result is nothing happens; all other results are likely to be worse...
 
Intrigued

I have to admit, I am intrigued by the idea. Flying open cockpit, even with some sort of restricted flight envelope, would be attractive. I do think a return to Phase 1, at least for open cockpit operation of the aircraft, would be wise if not required.

Fabricating some sort of removable fairing that would bridge the area between the pilot seat and the turtleback would also be an interesting project.

Frankly, I a little surprised this hasn't been explored before. Are there more unannounced open cockpit flyers out there?
 
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