Looking at a photo of Tom Blair’s Buchon on my desktop got me wondering….
Why did Willi Messerschmitt design that bloody canopy on the ‘109?? :confused:
It couldn’t be opened in flight; it couldn’t be opened for taxiing; it had all that framework in the way; it was cramped for tall pilots (a trait the Spitfire shared to a degree) and, in the event of the aeroplane flipping onto its back in a landing/take-off accident, made things a bit difficult in an emergency!
If I remember correctly, wasn’t it the Czechs who fitted a sliding canopy on their Avia S.199s? And the Spanish had a sliding canopy arrangement on the two-seater Buchon, at least.
Just something I was pondering…! :p
By: DazDaMan - 16th January 2009 at 23:34
Hmm, good points there, Fluffy, can’t argue too much with that! 😮
By: Fluffy - 16th January 2009 at 21:38
Looking at a photo of Tom Blair’s Buchon on my desktop got me wondering….
It couldn’t be opened in flight; it couldn’t be opened for taxiing; it had all that framework in the way; it was cramped for tall pilots (a trait the Spitfire shared to a degree) and, in the event of the aeroplane flipping onto its back in a landing/take-off accident, made things a bit difficult in an emergency!
Just something I was pondering…! :p
You dont need to open it flight you can open the two sliding windows,
the seat is adjustable so not that cramped and when John Allison had his accident in Black6 the canopy/ framework probably saved his life where as a bubble canopy would have shattered and maybe caused him some head or neck injuries
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January 16, 2009 at 8:25 pm