Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!cbnews!military From: needham@XN.LL.MIT.EDU (jim needham) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Piece of Cake Summary: Opening the canopy on takeoff and landings Message-ID: <1990Jul25.004533.6547@cbnews.att.com> Date: 25 Jul 90 00:45:33 GMT References: <1990Jul23.201417.4825@cbnews.att.com> Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) Organization: MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, MA Lines: 29 Approved: military@att.att.com From: needham@XN.LL.MIT.EDU (jim needham) > Mary Binseel writes: > % > %used by the pilots in the show. Before takeoff or landing, they > %always open the canopy. What is the reason for this? Is it to > %facilitate escape/rescue in case of emergency? > > I'm not a pilot, but I believe that since the cockpit was set fairly far > back on the Spitfire, the canopy was opened on takeoffs and landings in > order for the pilot to look over the side to see where (s)he was on the > runway. Spitfires didn't have nosewheels, and the nose had to be up on > takeoffs and landing. > An old Navy pilot I know who use to fly F4-U Corsairs said that having the canopy open did facillitate escape/rescue. Another real reason is for ventilation. Canopies make good Greenhouses. It gets real hot in the cockpit of airplanes that have a lot of "glass". Yes, in some planes, it also helps to see where you are going. But usually you are straped in pretty tight, it is hard to crane you head out around to see. Tail dragger planes, the ones with the wheel in the back, have pore forward visibility. Pilots of htese planes will make S turns while taxing so that they can see what is infront of them. I fly these type of planes.