Tinted canopies desirable?

One thing not mentioned is flying with orange tinted sunglasses; orange
tends to make blue look black -- the combination tends to cancel light.
Granted the blue is very light and not much will be lost, and you can
always take off the sunglasses unless they are prescription lenses. I
know this because I use Suntiger tri-focals and would not give them up.

At 19:19 08 August 2009, Eric Greenwell wrote:
Itsaplane wrote:
I've wondered about the desirability of having a tinted canopy. Even
with the heat of flying in the desert, I'm concerned that if you made
the mistake of landing after sunset, near dark, you might wish your
canopy wasn't tinted...

I'm curious about how well the typical digital camera handles the blue
tinting. Since they all (most?) have automatic white balance, perhaps
they avoid the color cast that often occurred with film cameras. Of
course, it's not an issue if all your pictures are through an open vent

window.

Most of my flying is in desert conditions, like eastern Washington and
Idaho states, Parowan, Ely, Minden, but I've also flown in other areas
across the country, including back east a number of times. I've always
had clear canopies, but rarely felt overheated, even though I always fly

in long pants and shirts, so I've stayed with the clear canopies for
photography (maybe not an issue anymore) and low light conditions.

I am curious about the use of a blue tint, which would seem to decrease
the contrast of clouds against the sky, instead of a gray or brownish
tint.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

* "Transponders in Sailplanes" http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* Sections on Mode S, TPAS, ADS-B, Flarm, more

* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at
www.motorglider.org

I have a light blue tint on my canopy. From inside the glider you can't
really tell there is any tint. It does not seem to impact any photography.
I were amber sunglasses and they are not a problem. However, it does
significantly reduce the heat load.

Another friend in my club also has a light blue tint canopy, however, his
sliding window is clear. You can really tell the difference in the heating
if you let the light from the window fall on your arm. It is significant.

John Scott

The canopy on my '93 Ventus looks clear, but I don't use sunblock and
have never had a hint of sunburn in it, so it must block UV. Three
years ago, I gave a friend a 3-hour ride in a rented Grob and that
canopy *obviously* didn't block UV - I could feel the difference in my
skin immediately. Sunblock was obviously needed.

As others have noted, to block UV is not the same as blocking heat. If
it also blocks IR, it will look blue-ish.

On Aug 8, 12:06*am, Itsaplane wrote:
I've wondered about the desirability of having a tinted canopy. *Even
with the heat of flying in the desert, I'm concerned that if you made
the mistake of landing after sunset, near dark, you might wish your
canopy wasn't tinted...

Comments?

danlj wrote:
The canopy on my '93 Ventus looks clear, but I don't use sunblock and
have never had a hint of sunburn in it, so it must block UV. Three
years ago, I gave a friend a 3-hour ride in a rented Grob and that
canopy *obviously* didn't block UV - I could feel the difference in my
skin immediately. Sunblock was obviously needed.

Are you sure you can feel UV? Did you feel the UV before you got into
the glider, or only after you got into the glider? Any plastic used in a
glider canopy will block substantial amounts of UV; some will block all
of it. And that's with untinted plastic.

As others have noted, to block UV is not the same as blocking heat. If
it also blocks IR, it will look blue-ish.

Other tints will also block IR. The amount blocked will depend on the
particular tint material and the amount. Take a look at the different
tints used on car windows. You are not stuck with blue, unless that's
all the glider manufacturer offers. Thermotec offers gray, for example,
for replacement canopies.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

* "Transponders in Sailplanes" http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* Sections on Mode S, TPAS, ADS-B, Flarm, more

* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org

I have a blue tinted canopy on my 27. Love it. Also wear Zeiss sky tinted
glasses for the UV. Great.

Keeps things cool, improves definition of clouds, doesn't affect
visibility at dusk significantly. but then I am usually on the ground by
then.

Only problem I have noticed is that yellow things such as oil seed rape in
flower look like water! I always carry a spare pair of clear glasses in
case I need them.

Jim

It seems that plexi expands and contracts at different rate than the
sailplane. Color for plexi makes the problem more intersting. It can be
difficult to close the canopy when on the ground if it has been in the
sun. A cover certainly is necessary.
Ideally, the fit would be perfect at cruising altitude. Pretty difficult
to do with some designs.
Bob