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Escaping glider on the ground with stuck canopy?



 
 
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  #1  
Old May 10th 19, 09:30 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Steve Koerner
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Default Escaping glider on the ground with stuck canopy?

I'm hypothesising about a certain risk scenario that could happen: landing somewhere or crashing somewhere and canopy won't open. If it's hot especially, one might not last long enough for help to arrive if summoned by phone or radio.

My question is how to get through a canopy that's stuck or has a broken latch mechanism. Maybe someone has had relevant experience with this issue?

An obvious possibility might be to grab the window and try to tear the plexiglass apart (after donning kevlar gloves perhaps). I don't have a good intuition as to whether that is possible or not. Has anyone ever done that or does anyone maybe have access to a junk canopy to try it on? Another possibility is to carry a small saw or some other tool. Are there any specific tools that you know will work effectively on canopy plexiglass yet are compact enough to stash in a tight cockpit (there's no room to carry a hammer)?
  #2  
Old May 10th 19, 09:55 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
john firth
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Default Escaping glider on the ground with stuck canopy?

On Friday, May 10, 2019 at 4:30:27 PM UTC-4, Steve Koerner wrote:
I'm hypothesising about a certain risk scenario that could happen: landing somewhere or crashing somewhere and canopy won't open. If it's hot especially, one might not last long enough for help to arrive if summoned by phone or radio.

My question is how to get through a canopy that's stuck or has a broken latch mechanism. Maybe someone has had relevant experience with this issue?

An obvious possibility might be to grab the window and try to tear the plexiglass apart (after donning kevlar gloves perhaps). I don't have a good intuition as to whether that is possible or not. Has anyone ever done that or does anyone maybe have access to a junk canopy to try it on? Another possibility is to carry a small saw or some other tool. Are there any specific tools that you know will work effectively on canopy plexiglass yet are compact enough to stash in a tight cockpit (there's no room to carry a hammer)?


How about a hacksaw blade and gloves. Start at the window.
  #3  
Old May 10th 19, 10:13 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
ripacheco1967
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Default Escaping glider on the ground with stuck canopy?

Don't they design those things to break so that the pilot is never trapped?

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/11/86...24ce3384d9.jpg
  #4  
Old May 10th 19, 10:29 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Nick Kennedy[_3_]
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Default Escaping glider on the ground with stuck canopy?

In Soaring several years ago, a guy wrote a story about this happening to him, flying I believe was a SZD 55. He was on a Safari starting in Minden to Ely. He screwed up and landed in the mountains east of the Monitor Valley. Long story short he got a aero town out of there. While launching he hit his head very hard on the canopy. After he landed in Ely he couldn't open the canopy due to the rear pins being bent from his head hitting the canopy. Could not raise anyone on the radio and no one was around on the ground to help. He started to panic and remembered the emergency release. Luckily it worked and he got out before he over heated.

I wonder if trapped and the emergency release didn't work it you could put your hat over your fist and break the canopy bit by bit by hitting it near the vent window. A younger fellow might, a older gent maybe not.

  #5  
Old May 10th 19, 10:56 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
RR
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Default Escaping glider on the ground with stuck canopy?

I always fly with a leatherman on my belt. Either the pliers or the saw would have me out in a jiffy...



  #6  
Old May 10th 19, 11:10 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Dan Marotta
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Default Escaping glider on the ground with stuck canopy?

I had one of THESE
https://www.dropbox.com/s/210gcqm9kek38oj/Canopy%20Breaker.jpg?dl=0
mounted in the jets I flew in the USAF.Â* The Type Certificate Data Sheet
for the Stemme requires a canopy breaker tool and my ship did not come
with one.Â* They make much smaller, lighter, and less expensive tools for
cars.

On 5/10/2019 2:30 PM, Steve Koerner wrote:
I'm hypothesising about a certain risk scenario that could happen: landing somewhere or crashing somewhere and canopy won't open. If it's hot especially, one might not last long enough for help to arrive if summoned by phone or radio.

My question is how to get through a canopy that's stuck or has a broken latch mechanism. Maybe someone has had relevant experience with this issue?

An obvious possibility might be to grab the window and try to tear the plexiglass apart (after donning kevlar gloves perhaps). I don't have a good intuition as to whether that is possible or not. Has anyone ever done that or does anyone maybe have access to a junk canopy to try it on? Another possibility is to carry a small saw or some other tool. Are there any specific tools that you know will work effectively on canopy plexiglass yet are compact enough to stash in a tight cockpit (there's no room to carry a hammer)?


--
Dan, 5J

  #7  
Old May 11th 19, 12:15 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
bumper[_4_]
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Default Escaping glider on the ground with stuck canopy?

On Friday, May 10, 2019 at 2:56:41 PM UTC-7, RR wrote:
I always fly with a leatherman on my belt. Either the pliers or the saw would have me out in a jiffy...


I do the same. Most gliders have a gap on the inside of the canopy frame to fuselage join. If the canopy jettison is of no help, then insert any pry tool in the gap (crack) opposite the canopy hinge. Pry away. A pry end with sharp edges (like a flat blade screwdriver) should get good purchase. Unlike other methods, if this works, any damage should be minimal.
  #8  
Old May 11th 19, 12:58 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Steve Koerner
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Posts: 430
Default Escaping glider on the ground with stuck canopy?

I should have done a better job of Googling. I just found a youtube of a pretty small escape hammer (as Dan suggests) that does a fine job on an RV7 canopy:

https://youtu.be/fRvQxGl4kt4



  #9  
Old May 11th 19, 01:38 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
son_of_flubber
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Default Escaping glider on the ground with stuck canopy?

I carry a spare baseball cap with a button on top.
  #10  
Old May 11th 19, 01:42 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Charlie Quebec
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Default Escaping glider on the ground with stuck canopy?

That’s using your head.
 




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