Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 13:09:16 -0400
From: Michael Fopp <70734.101@compuserve.com>
Subject: LNC2 - Un-Latched Canopy In Flight
Sender: Michael Fopp <70734.101@compuserve.com>
To: "lancair.list@olsusa.com" <lancair.list@olsusa.com>
Message-ID: <200108291309_MC3-DE11-E965@compuserve.com>
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Hi All,

The LNC2 with a forward hinged canopy flies fine when the canopy is 
unlatched! I took off from Jersey (UK Channel Islands) for the 100 mile cross
channel flight yesterday. Climbing out the canopy became unlatched which I
heard first and felt the breeze second.  My wife and I were both wearing full 
immersion suits and life jackets so movement and room was quite restricted.
I decided not to try to re-latch the canopy in flight, fearing that to do 
so might make the situation worse.  I declared a "Pan" call and was given  a
priority landing back at Jersey. I was offered the downwind runway but elected 
to fly a standard small circuit at 120 kias.  A totally uneventful 
landing ensued (except for all the fire trucks on the apron), we ensured
the canopy was re-latched and took off again some ten minutes later for 
an uneventful flight back over the sea.
   I am not sure if anyone else has experienced this but as far as I am 
concerned the LNC2 will fly with an unlatched canopy if you fly slow and use 
rate one turns. Oh yes ,and concentrate on flying the aircraft and not
on the problem. I now need to find out what caused the unlatching in the
first place, I suspect that the bulky suits we were wearing could have 
obstructed my ability to get the canopy lever fully down and the restricted 
movement stopped me from clearly seeing it was in the latched position. 
 However, I shall check more fully in future.
Happy landings....michael

(LNC2 G-FOPP, Based Cranfield UK)

 Dr Michael A Fopp =

 Home Office at 18:16 on 29-Aug-01
 Private email add:- michael_fopp@compuserve.com


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