Van's Air Force
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Canopy taxi stop?
- Thread starter maverick
- Start date
Andy Duff
Active Member
Taxi Position Restraint
Max, I was not able to attach pictures to this thread for some reason, so I posted a couple on one of those free file share sites at the following address:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=cc5u9f0.12z28bcc&Uy=-ois4jg&Upost_signin=BrowsePhotos.jsp%3FshowSlide%3Dtrue&Ux=0
What it shows is the canopy restraint for my -4. The first picture shows the pin I installed in the roll bar. The second picture shows the latch mechanism. The latch is spring loaded and allows you to close the canopy without having to find the proper position to insert a pin or other retaining feature. You just lower the canopy and it snaps in place. When you want to close the canopy all the way, there is a ramp installed on the release bar that opens the latch so that the canopy can close. It makes it more intuitive to have the release feature as part of the normal open/close handle for canopy restraint. Hopefully this all makes sense. If not, I can take more pictures, or explain further.
Good luck.
Max, I was not able to attach pictures to this thread for some reason, so I posted a couple on one of those free file share sites at the following address:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=cc5u9f0.12z28bcc&Uy=-ois4jg&Upost_signin=BrowsePhotos.jsp%3FshowSlide%3Dtrue&Ux=0
What it shows is the canopy restraint for my -4. The first picture shows the pin I installed in the roll bar. The second picture shows the latch mechanism. The latch is spring loaded and allows you to close the canopy without having to find the proper position to insert a pin or other retaining feature. You just lower the canopy and it snaps in place. When you want to close the canopy all the way, there is a ramp installed on the release bar that opens the latch so that the canopy can close. It makes it more intuitive to have the release feature as part of the normal open/close handle for canopy restraint. Hopefully this all makes sense. If not, I can take more pictures, or explain further.
Good luck.
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My experience with canopy taxi latches
Max,
I am on my third iteration of canopy in taxi open position. The first was stock, hand held. It does not work for obvious reasons. I taxied out from between the hangers got hit by a gust of wind just as I took my hand off the canopy rail to close the throttle. The canopy flipped open, broke the stock restraining cable, and bent the right skirt up a little. Not a good day.
Second iteration I installed a hinge on the forward canopy rail with a piece of 0.063 with a hole in the end for recieving the locking tube from the front of the canopy. It worked OK, but was kind of in the way when working in the cockpit. I finally broke it off about a month ago while putting inspection plates back in the bottom of the cockpit after annual.
I have just installed what I believe to be my final system. Instead of having the rods go through the square tubing, I installed some 0.063 doublers inside that allow the lock tubes to ride just inside the canopy frame. This gives you extra height at the front and back to drill an extra locking hole that will keep the canopy open about 2 inches.
There are probably other elegent ways to do this, but I try to keep it simple and light.
I hope this helps.
Max,
I am on my third iteration of canopy in taxi open position. The first was stock, hand held. It does not work for obvious reasons. I taxied out from between the hangers got hit by a gust of wind just as I took my hand off the canopy rail to close the throttle. The canopy flipped open, broke the stock restraining cable, and bent the right skirt up a little. Not a good day.
Second iteration I installed a hinge on the forward canopy rail with a piece of 0.063 with a hole in the end for recieving the locking tube from the front of the canopy. It worked OK, but was kind of in the way when working in the cockpit. I finally broke it off about a month ago while putting inspection plates back in the bottom of the cockpit after annual.
I have just installed what I believe to be my final system. Instead of having the rods go through the square tubing, I installed some 0.063 doublers inside that allow the lock tubes to ride just inside the canopy frame. This gives you extra height at the front and back to drill an extra locking hole that will keep the canopy open about 2 inches.
There are probably other elegent ways to do this, but I try to keep it simple and light.
I hope this helps.
Rv4 Canopy Taxi Position
I Fabricated An Extended Latch Identical To The Original And Put A Notch In It. It Keeps It Open About 1 1/2" To 2" Open. I Have Had It Since Day One, Almost Six Years. It's Never Come Open And When Setting Still During Warmup It Brings In Plenty Of Moving Air. It's Also Very Easy Open After Clearing The Active Runway.
I Fabricated An Extended Latch Identical To The Original And Put A Notch In It. It Keeps It Open About 1 1/2" To 2" Open. I Have Had It Since Day One, Almost Six Years. It's Never Come Open And When Setting Still During Warmup It Brings In Plenty Of Moving Air. It's Also Very Easy Open After Clearing The Active Runway.
Bunker Hill
Member
We visited with Mr. Vetterman a couple weeks back and were shown his method of keeping the canopy open while operating on the ground. If you look along the far left side of the first picture, you'll see two different holes for the canopy locking bar. He added the second hole on the top which allows him to lock the canopy slightly open with about two inches of "vent" space. He told us the trick to getting proper air flow through the cockpit was to add a reverse NACA scoop on the underside of the plane just aft of the baggage area. This got rid of the positive pressure in the rear fuselage that had previously caused the passenger's hair to blow forward as air seeped in under the rear portion of the canopy skirt. With the NACA scoop and the canopy hold open latch, there was plenty of air flow properly through the plane to keep both of these men comfortable while taxiing on a warm Louisiana afternoon.
mine too
The "Vetterman" mechanism is what is on my 4 from 1988. I haven't got that far in my own project but I had thought that was part of the plans. Larry is an "old time" RV guy. I wonder if this was something common "back in the day" that just got lost over the years?
It does work well. It is almost impossible to forget. It works just like the standard latch and requires no change in procedures or any other gizmos to manipulate.
John
The "Vetterman" mechanism is what is on my 4 from 1988. I haven't got that far in my own project but I had thought that was part of the plans. Larry is an "old time" RV guy. I wonder if this was something common "back in the day" that just got lost over the years?
It does work well. It is almost impossible to forget. It works just like the standard latch and requires no change in procedures or any other gizmos to manipulate.
John
Chuck McCurry
Member
I know this is an old message but do you have any pictures of the fix for side open canopy on the ground. Hd the same thing happen to me on my Rocket. [email protected]
smokyray
Well Known Member
The SEARCH is over...
Pretty much every potential RV4 question has been asked here since DR opened for business 15 years ago. Pick a subject, click on search threads and voila", lots of posts. Here is a great one pertaining to what you asked...
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=74693&highlight=Rv4+canopy+hold+open
V/R
Smokey
PS: used the same on my HR2....
Chuck,
Pretty much every potential RV4 question has been asked here since DR opened for business 15 years ago. Pick a subject, click on search threads and voila", lots of posts. Here is a great one pertaining to what you asked...
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=74693&highlight=Rv4+canopy+hold+open
V/R
Smokey
PS: used the same on my HR2....
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