Thorp Air Command - T18.net

Has anyone completely removed the canopy to fly open cockpit? Does anyone know if there are any problems associated with doing so? Other than the obvious temperature, wind and noise issues of course.

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Mike

Mike,

Read here ..

http://thorp18.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6313

http://thorp18.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6315

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Lee Walton
Houston, TX
N51863,N118LW
KEFD

Yes - thanks Lee. I had read all these before. My question is a little
different. Based on removing the canopy completely and then going flying.
What are your thoughts?

Mike

*** admin posted for Mike ***

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Forum Administrator

FWIW, I think you'd be subjected to so much wind, you'd think you were sleeping in the same bed as me after a 2 fer one Shiner Boch/fajita night at Lupe Tortillas.

If you look at most open cockpit aircraft, the pilot's head rests on a bulkhead of some sort - I think there's a reason for that.

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Fraser MacPhee
N926WM
Serial #279-1
Angel Fire, NM (KAXX)

Mike,
I have no personal experience flying with the canopy removed, but from what I've heard there is a buffeting on the tail above a fairly low speed (is it 130 guys?), it's very loud/windy, and not an experience one would enter into voluntarily.

A few of the early T-18's went canopy-less briefly, with the original high back, almost all(if not all) of them quickly went to full canopy.

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Lee Walton
Houston, TX
N51863,N118LW
KEFD

I have not done it myself, but I have talked to two people who have. The result is a flight control emergency. There was no way to keep your feet on the rudder pedals at 80 knots. The airflow is completely spoiled around the tail feathers. It was the scariest flight either of these two guys took. I highly do not recommend trying it. If you do, and live, how about writing it up?

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Cubes
831GR
Las Vegas

Have you flown in an open cockpit A/C before ? Not something I want to do for more than 45 min. (did it in a Pete and still have trouble hearing ! )and not in a Thorp. I believe one of the original designs did not have a canopy, but have not seen any ? Must be a reason why they put a hat on the T-18.

RB

There were at least 2 T18s built sans canopy with the high back. John told me that it was too miserable to fly. Dean N11DC

One of the first T-18's built was Bob Keargard, Glen Ellyn, IL 1964/5 before the canopy was in the plans. Bob flew it down to TX and back (Dallas or Houston) and had a hard time keeping things inside plus all the wind and noise was bad. There is a picture of this plane on one of the Newsletter covers in the 1990's. Bob lost his T-18 in a hangar fire and built a second one that was in the hands of Ed Burke's son the last I knew.
Ed Torbett

** admin posted for Ed ***

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Forum Administrator