Are bubble canopies hot?

[facthunter]

Drifters and the Breezy have the best view.. just for fun I'd like to see people trying to fly a breezy for the first time. There's absolutely NO thing to align for visual reference. Some planes after sitting in the sun on a hot day are virtually unbearable till you get airborne. There's not usually much shade on an aerodrome .Nev

 

 

[skippydiesel]

I just lift my tilt up canopy about 50mm on the RV, when I am parked. It seems to keep the temp. down pretty well.

Yeah! I used to do this until a "willy willy" came through - lifted my aircraft up on one side , wipped my canopy from side to side, damaging hinge/strut mechanism and put a couple of nasty scrapes (from wipping canopy) down each side of the fuselage just behind the cockpit. Hard lesson. I close my canopy now, no matter what the weather is.

 

 

[APenNameAndThatA]

Thanks everyone, some great advice from personal experience. So it seems bubble canopies are hot on the ground and while taxiing but not so much in the air. I'll need lots of air flow from naca inlets and some sort of shade. And it's good to be able to taxi with the canopy cracked open.

My conclusions exactly. Might be a bit different if you live in Tasmania.

 

 

[skippydiesel]

As has been discussed to death on so many other occasions high/low wing (often with a bubble canopy) really comes down to personal preference and a little to mission objectives. They both have about the same +/- features.

 

So if you have the dosh $$$$ purchase what you fancy.

 

If not, purchase what you can afford when it comes up.

 

You won't be sorry either way.

 

 

[alf jessup]

As has been discussed to death on so many other occasions high/low wing (often with a bubble canopy) really comes down to personal preference and a little to mission objectives. They both have about the same +/- features.So if you have the dosh $$$$ purchase what you fancy.

If not, purchase what you can afford when it comes up.

 

You won't be sorry either way.

Well said skippydiesel

Bit like the Holden / Ford debate

 

Me personally I prefer Nissan or Jap cars

 

Low wing is my choice as I have flown both types

 

What I like about my Tecnam Sierra is it looks like a GA aircraft compared to some also it flys as well as it looks

 

People saying bubble canopies are hotter on the ground are dreaming

 

All aircraft a hot inside if they have been sitting in the sun all day.

 

High wings are good for shade and rain standing up

 

Low wings are good for shade and laying down

 

Horses for courses as you say

 

Alf

 

 

[kgwilson]

I went for a fly yesterday. Temperature mid 30s, humidity about 85%. On the ground with the canopy closed before starting the engine it was farking hot. Start up & crack open the canopy & there was instant relief. Once in the air it was great with plenty of air blasting through the NACA vents. My A/C also flies straight & level in a nose down attitude so forward vision is superb and in a turn everything in the turn direction is visible. Also there is no need for a flap indicator as I can see exactly where they are at all times. I was brought up on a diet of C150s & 172s & then went to the dark side of PA28 Archers & preferred them that is why I decided to build a low wing. I like the sports car style seating position of a low wing. Flying a C172 is like driving a truck with such an upright seat & heavy controls to boot. The only disadvantage is getting in as you have to stand on the seat cushion. The Archer also only had one door so the rear passengers had to get in stomping all over the seats then the pilot & lastly the co-pilot or front seat passenger & then I'd have to lean all over them to shut the door & secure the top hatch lock. That also was an advantage when taking a nice young lady for a fly.

 

 

[skippydiesel]

................................That also was an advantage when taking a nice young lady for a fly.

Hopefully naughty as well ??

 

 

[Kctoothman]

I'm about to embark on a homebuilt low wing aircraft build. At the risk of starting a 'high wing/low wing is the best' debate I'd like to hear from people who fly low wing bubble canopy aircraft in Australia. My aircraft is a French design with a one piece, front hinged bubble canopy and I'd like to know how hot it gets in the cockpit and what are some of the solutions against this eg shades, lots of air etc. There are many bubble-canopied planes and gliders in Australia so I'm thinking it can't be that bad.Mark

Yes, all those solutions and sunscreen.

 

 

[facthunter]

You get sunburned even when the air is coming in to cool you. Getting inverted on the ground is the big issue with low wing. Nev

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

...flying directly into the sun at either early morning or late afternoon more tedious that the midday sun...

Good point, Naremman. Pointing the aircraft directly at the sun sure limits visibility.

The sun's position is a major factor in my flight planning.

 

 

[facthunter]

Certainly NOT intended to be funny SSCBD. Have I missed something? Nev

 

 

[Don January]

Here in North Dakota I'd go sit in my KR-2 and drop the canopy down for a few minutes to keep warm in the fall months. Of course it was about 20 degrees Fahrenheit out side but the sun was shinning good.

 

 

[skippydiesel]

...................... 20 degrees Fahrenheit ......................

Last time I used Farenheit was when I was at school in the early 1960's - I could Google it (no fun) but what is this in degrees C??

 

 

[Mick]

You get sunburned even when the air is coming in to cool you Nev

Not in a Sportstar, the canopy is 99% UV proof.

 

I've got a few hundred hours in them & own one. You don't get sunburnt at all.

 

I do wish my other low wing bubble canopy aircraft had the same material for the canopy.

 

 

[kgwilson]

Last time I used Farenheit was when I was at school in the early 1960's - I could Google it (no fun) but what is this in degrees C??

It is cold, about minus 7 deg C. I think the USA is about the only country in the world still using the fahrenheit scale along with gallons, yards, miles, pounds, pints and ounces etc. The UK uses a few but has largely gone metric.

 

 

[djpacro]

Here in North Dakota I'd go sit in my KR-2 and drop the canopy down for a few minutes to keep warm in the fall months. Of course it was about 20 degrees Fahrenheit out side but the sun was shinning good.

I lived in Wyoming for a while (flew up to ND a couple of times), some mornings in January were -40 (no need to convert F to C)!At -10C on the ground (6500 ft elevation) in bright sunshine I’d be happy to fly xcountry under the bubble canopy with no heater cruising at 12,000 ft.

Same type of aeroplane here in Oz flying xcountry at +40C is very unpleasant.

 

 

[skippydiesel]

I lived in Wyoming for a while (flew up to ND a couple of times), some mornings in January were -40 (no need to convert F to C)!At -10C on the ground (6500 ft elevation) in bright sunshine I’d be happy to fly xcountry under the bubble canopy with no heater cruising at 12,000 ft.

Same type of aeroplane here in Oz flying xcountry at +40C is very unpleasant.

I agree with your Wyoming observations but not your + 40 C Oz comment - aside from ground & low altitude maneuvers (can be a little "sticky") I have always found the "eggnitioning" at altitude to be very effective. So on hot summer days, I avoid middle of the day departures, and cruise between 4500-9500 for a nice comfortable trip.

 

 

[skippydiesel]

Not in a Sportstar, the canopy is 99% UV proof.I've got a few hundred hours in them & own one. You don't get sunburnt at all.

 

I do wish my other low wing bubble canopy aircraft had the same material for the canopy.

I will no doubt be "shouted down" for the following ( myth ??):

 

I have always understood that glass/perspex/sundry other clear "plastics" filter out most UV radiation.

 

Should this be true, I guess your "other low wing bubble canopy aircraft " is just as as good as your Sportstar and you have been "had" by marketing hyp.

 

 

[facthunter]

I doubt any windows filter it all out. At high cruising levels you need good quality wrap arounds in any aircraft cockpit . (not just for the "cool" look) and they have really thick multi element windows for pressurisation.. The Sun is much more glary at height. Less dust and water vapour/ice crystals.. Nev

 

 

[skippydiesel]

I doubt any windows filter it all out. At high cruising levels you need good quality wrap arounds in any aircraft cockpit . (not just for the "cool" look) and they have really thick multi element windows for pressurisation.. The Sun is much more glary at height. Less dust and water vapour/ice crystals.. Nev

"

Dear FactHunter - Let's not confuse light intensity/glare with UV radiation - they are not the same thing and NOTE I did not say all UV radiation is filtered out I said "most"

 

 

[facthunter]

Dear skippy, the ophthalmic experts recommend the expensive wrap arounds to protect your eyes from UV even from the sides, so you can keep on flying longer( for more years) and not get macular degeneration, or at least slow it down... $100 million $ +Jets have better windows in the cockpit than any RAAus planes and they are about 20 mm Thick.. I'm only fh, facthunter. NO capitals. . Nev

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

As I understand it - from making extensive enquiries just lately due to both spectacles and windshields ...

 

Glass i.e. car windows filter out about 80-90% UV. People will tell you glass lets zero UV in, that's not correct, evidence is available to most of us, you'll get some tan/burn inside a car as the sun drops past its zenith (thereby coming in the side windows), but not enough UV to darken your Transition spectacles, more's the pity.

 

Apparently, plastics don't ordinarily have any UV protection or UV transmission resistance. If you want them to last you buy plastics with built-in UV resistance, this is mixed within the plastic itself and protects the plastic from UV degradation for approx 5-10yrs in the sun but does not stop UV from passing through. If you want personal UV protection within your canopy you need to get the canopy coated with a UV coating. Then you'd be advised to also have it coated with an anti-scratch coating because UV coatings are soft and scratch easily. While you're at it you might as well get it coated with a non-reflectant to reduce glare.

 

As far as wrap-arounds are concerned, if you have your prescription sunnies coated as described above you really don't need wrap-arounds, the amount of UV that enters the pupil from behind the lenses of non-reflective lenses is negligible - more than 99% of the light that enters the eye, enters via line-of-sight, so my research informs me - YMMD.

 

And fh, what would you be worried about in Victoria anyway, hardly ever saw the sun while I was down there ...

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Slightly relevant, and dredging up an old debate: a couple of weeks ago I did a flight without the prescription spex I normally wear. Instead I wore Polaroids. Visibility was great, clouds clearly defined...then I looked down at my iPad and it was black. I hadn't turned it on, but after I did, the display was also black.

 

Why isn't there a standard across industry for polarisation of displays. Being an old stiff-neck, it's damned hard to turn my head thru 90 degrees while flying or driving.

 

Luckily I dug up my old clip-on Polaroid lenses, so that in future I can just flip them up to look at screens.

 

 

[Mick]

Should this be true, I guess your "other low wing bubble canopy aircraft " is just as as good as your Sportstar and you have been "had" by marketing hyp.

It must be some pretty impressive "marketing hype", no wonder I have been "had" by it.

 

Amongst the few hundred hours I have in the Sportstar, I have flown from Perth to Central Queensland, and Central Queensland to the very bottom of Victoria. I have never been sunburnt in it.

 

The Instructor that uses my Sportstar has done almost 2000 hours of training in it, he doesn't get sunburnt!

 

My fair skinned wife has flown with me from Central Queensland to Dubbo NSW in January under blue skies, as well as about 100 hours of her own flying time in the Sportstar. She has never gotten sunburnt in it.

 

The first time I flew my Skylark from Central Queensland to Dubbo, which was in August, I got roasted.

 

I am pretty sure the difference is obvious..............

 

 

[facthunter]

Even Victorians don't always fly in "just" Victoria and I did specify some of my comments that related to higher altitude flight.

 

I love people bagging Victoria's weather. Here we now have the biggest growth rate in Australia. Keep it UP. Don't come . We're full!!. The weather and everything else is terrible especially the jump Bears. Once you cross the Murray in a southwards direction, abandon all hope, or do a quick "U" turn. I didn't do it soon enough in 1965 and now I'm stuck here. Happy New year folks. Have a good and safe flying "eighteen". Nev