Brief Description: Cyphering and decision on canopy pull
Bob and I talked at length about the current hidden pull design and with his help, I decided that it was time to move on from that method. The dissimilar bonding methods used (resin and aluminum) make it difficult to get the smoothness of the rear skirt the way I wanted. I am really happy with the way the canopy skirt continues the same contour as the canopy and I want that to be ultra smooth, not broken up by a metal pull and fiberglass cover. Although I think I could have achieved a contour that I would be ok with, it wasn't going to be what I wanted. The dissimilar metals used, with the pull itself (steel) and the aluminum materials could have caused corrosion issues down the road. Maintaining the push tab and spring could also be problematic. Because my area aft of the canopy frame to the canopy rail is smaller than "normal" there wasn't enough room for the full finger pull grip. So... let's look at another option, the grab handle and pull ring.
The grab handle/pull ring design is another popular way to have something to grab to get that initial lift on the canopy to open it. Not every RV-8 has one, but many do as an assist. The concept is something sticking up above the canopy skirt at the aft end that you can grab on to and "pull". It is either a one finger tab or a full handle – like a cabinet pull. Bob and I discussed a curved design that he could make out of 1/8” angle.
We also discussed the option of just using the locking handle at the front of the canopy. This is Van’s original design. The pilot reaches to the front of the canopy and grabs the locking handle and pulls back to open the canopy. This shouldn't be a problem for me since my arms are plenty long. In the end, this is what I decided to go with as I can add a pull ring later if it’s really needed.
