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To answer your questions:
The Alon can be flown with the canopy open.
It can be open for takeoff and landing.
The airplane must not exceed 100 MPH IAS when the canopy is open. There should be a placard (required) on the instrument panel that shows this.
Other comments:
The interior of the Alon when flown with the canopy open seems to get a lot more turbulent air in it than the older style Coupes do with their windows open. I have flown in a friend's 415C with the canopy open, and it it pretty calm and comfortable in the airplane with the windows down. In the Alon with the canopy open, there seems to be much more turbulence in the cockpit, which makes it difficult to handle charts, etc.
On the older style coupes, you can regulate the amount of air you get by partially opening the windows, or by leaving the top window in place. In the Alon, the canopy is either opened or closed, unless you rig up some type of intermediate stop (which would be an unapproved modification) to hold the canopy partially open.
The Alon canopy is pretty flimsy when open, and tends to vibrate around and "fly" in the slip stream. I have heard of, but not verified, two cases of Alon canopies departing the aircraft in flight while they were open. There's not much hardware holding the canopy on when it is open. Aside from the risk of the canopy hitting you or the tail if it should come off in flight, the canopy is virtually irreplaceable if you should lose it. Probably the only way you would be able to get a replacement is to buy one from a plane that is being parted out. They are very rare items. (The plexi is available new, the frame is not.)
Opening and closing the canopy in flight is not real easy. The canopy is pretty flimsy when it is unlatched in flight, so you have to hold on to it when you open it and let it slide back gently. When closing it, the bottom aft edges where the latches are tend to push outboard due to positive air pressure, and do not fall into place easily, so latching each side is a two handed affair. I have never been comfortable opening or closing the canopy while in flight. If I fly it with the canopy open, I open it on the ground and leave it open for the entire flight. If you do decide to open or close the canopy in flight, it seems to be easier if you first slow the airplane down.
Hope this info is of some use. Most of this is just my opinion, so take it for what it is worth.
Best Regards,
Wayne DelRossi
Alon N5618F
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [email protected]
Cc: Jose Luis Gibert <coachjose@bellsouth.net>
Sent: Mon, 19 Dec 2005 06:39:45 -0500
Subject: [COUPERS-FLYIN] canopy restriiction question
----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]----
Guys
I have a couple of questions about the sliding canopy of an Alon:
Can the Alon be flown with the canopy open?
Can it be open for take-off and landing?
Any restrictions of flight with canopy open?
Can it be open for take-off and landing?
Any restrictions of flight with canopy open?
Thanks
Glen Davis CFII
Grumman Tiger N70GD
1946 Ercoupe N3103H
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Grumman Tiger N70GD
1946 Ercoupe N3103H
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