Check out one of our guys Hawk ejecting the canopy in flight. !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK9xcWE3_ZU

It's a wonder the whole jet did not disintegrate. He was not exactly hanging around.
What turbine was he using?

Regards

Jim

Such a shame it dropped a wing on that landing and broke the gear mounts in the wing[:'(] Otherwise he would just have to fit a new canopy or repair the old one.

A good thing is that he kept his head cool when the canopy came off and kept flying the plane. I hear of many people who crashes their planes after loosing canopy or hatch. On most planes it does not change the flying characteristics much. Most of those crashes are IMO caused by the pilot panicking if not the high airspeed is ripping it appart a millisecond later.

I lost the main hatch on a JL F-15 i maidened for a friend. It behaved just like it did with the hatch on. I only noticed slightly less lift when the AOA was increased on the flare. Roos also fly great without canopy

Good job, Keld!

It has a simjet Nexus in it.

Yea, he is a cool pilot.
Once his aviation design rafale elevon fluttered off on one side, and he managed to land it with the canard and one elevon.....that is impressive

as you said, its too bad it droped a wing during landing. It also drops a wing when rotating the plane too early on takeoff, but the engine pushes it like a rocket, so it doesn`t realy matter

A Nexus. Crazy man.

Regards

Jim

man...the canopy hit the wing right over the aileron servo, and crushed the servo gears in the servo......

Se also how the canopy lock was torn through the canopy.

i had the canopy on a Cermark MB339 blow off in flight a long time ago .. it nailed the rudder servo linkage on its way rearward and the rudder fluttered so hard it sounded like a harley engine revving up !! the plane came back in one piece no problem after the speed was reduced. The hatch looked like the one in the hawk the way it tore where the latch keeps it in place ...


Voy

Wow, that was impresive... Good the pilot got it back...
Any info on why the canopy departed??? The picture above is from the canopy?

Michel

At our jetmeeting this year a Santorin lost his canopy. A second later the airplane exploded in uncountable pieces. The biggest piece that was left was the part were the engine was mounted. The turbine was ok.

Well done on getting the model back in one piece. Just hope you don't need any parts for the SM Hawk as they have moved factory and aren't making them any more!!

Good job performed by the pilot!!!!
As for SM I think they are redesigning the hawk to the new arfplus tech. and making a bigger one also.

Rgds
Alex

Check out how much the wings flexed when he pulled out after the canopy fell off (slow motion)
A few G's there!
Mort

Hi Avicom

I think you're right in that they are re designing them but that still doesn't help if you've damaged something and you now can't get a part for it. Crack a wing and you've got a load of expensive useless fibreglass!

I have the same jet and my canopy did the same thing, cracked in the same place, and that was before it even flew, I added a piece of plywood where the hatch pin goes in the canopy for support, i think that fixed mine......


Mark

Spare wings and Canopies in stock so if you have any problems repairing them let me know. At least that way you wont have an expensive bit of fibre glass laying around
Regards Al

My Skymaster Hawk also lost its canopy in flight, landed safely, cause: The ply plates under the socket head bolts which retain the engine hatch had worn and compressed . The engine hatch retains the canopy and the slightly loose engine hatch, resulting from the compressed ply plates around the keyhole, had allowed the canopy latch to pull clear. Off goes the canopy. So if you have a Hawk/T45 check this area carefully.

I have modified my AW Hawk canopy retention as a result of this incident, see the AW Hawk build thread.

Regards, David Gladwin.

Crikey!
I saw that explode. I thought it was a mid air.

Hi Guys

After reading this thread,I went and had a look at the 2 canopy latch on my SM MB-339. I`ve decided to make a small modification,in this area. The latch pin,goes into a small hole,which in in the canopy frame and this hole can wear out,causing it to become bigger and bigger. A simple solution to this,is to use one of the small brass eyelets,which is found in the DuBro Small Servo Mounting Package. Drill the existing hole bigger,to allow for the eyelet and glue it inside the frame,as positioned from the front side. After the glue has dried,one just files off the excess material,which is sticking out of the canopy frame.

I personally don`t like the new Latch system,on the MB-339. The actual rod,which protrudes out of the slot,is turned into a collar and this collar has the rod in it,which goes into the hole in the fuselage or canopy. A spring is up against this collar and if the rod(the one which protrudes through the slot) comes loose,the actual pin,which holds the canopy or hatch,will move out and there goes the canopy or engine hatch. Please guys,take a look at this and put a small amount of loctite onto the threaded section of this rod,to prevent it from comming loose.

Prevention,is better than cure.

Regards
Craig
S.A.

Hello,

the picture shows the canopy of my SM Hawk. I don`t know, how many flights it would have last out. I will fix it with plywood and may be brass eyelets.
@ Sonnich: You saved me a plane, minimum a heart thumping landing. If you stay at the Jetpower Fair in September let me know. I`ll pay for the first beer.

Regards

Andreas

nightfly... use both. put a small piece of plywood and then add the brass eyelet. bob;e the protection, I already have the plywood added, but I will now install the brass eyelet


Mark