On Tuesday, January 8, 2019 at 2:35:19 AM UTC-8, Tony wrote:
$250k for a canopy that won't close. Daaaang.

The main issues here are design and the immutable properties of materials. The longer an acrylic canopy is, the greater its mismatch with the fuselage opening as it heats up.

Two-seaters with two separate canopies generally don't have these problems. Or at least, not to the degree such that heroics are required to latch the canopy. But apparently they don't look as good as a large single-piece canopy. And, of course, the two-canopy solution has a longer seal perimeter, with more opportunities for leakage and laminar flow disruption.

I think that if the manufacturers really want to make operational gliders with these long one-piece canopies, they should step up to the plate and do what is necessary to accommodate the almost inevitable thermal mismatch. It shouldn't be that hard to create an expansion zone at the aft canopy bow that accommodates up to 10mm of length change, sealed over with a mylar or similar strip that reduces airflow disruption.

--Bob K.