"Mark James Boyd" wrote in message
news:412874c6$1@darkstar...
I'm still not decided on side opening canopy or front. The PW-5
was a bit "athletic" to get into, but at least if one left the canopy
unlocked, there was no issue with it (ask me how I know).

You just touched on my pet peeve. At least one Russia has come to grief
after a typical unlocked canopy incident. Unlocked side-opening, (and
front-opening back) canopies represent a continuing source of glider accidents
that could easily be "designed away" by manufacturers. We insist on automatic
control hookups on new gliders because they prevent accidents, so I don't
understand why we tolerate those crappy canopy latches that are so easily left
unlocked or accidentally unlocked in flight.

The L-13 canopy latch is a better (though far from perfect) example of a
side-canopy latch. If properly maintained, it is almost idiot proof because it
latches automatically, much like your car door or the hood of your car. Your
basic cam-acting door latch was probably invented hundreds of years ago; why
can't we have this "space-age" technology in our gliders?

Vaughn