Canopy causes cockpit fire

JJ Sinclair wrote:

so if you leave
the glider for some time, you close the canopy and cover it.


In the cockpit fire that I know about, the soft cotton canopy cover was placed
over the instrument panels to keep them cool and the canopies were left open.
Not a good idea to leave any combustable material on the instrument panel, not
even your hat. Close the canopy and put the cover on is the best rule.
JJ Sinclair

Was it the cover that ignited? I use my cover, hat or towel, all white,
and they all stay cool, even with the canopy focused on them. Not so for
the black glare shield or instrument face.

Some people hang the cover over the back end of the open canopy to block
the sun's rays from hitting the cover in the first place. Works well as
long as it isn't windy.
--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA