wrote:
I'm curious about the "sport canopy". Do you refer to flying with the
canopy removed? Is this something people talk about?

Not exactly removed, but replaced with one which only covers the front to
block the incoming wind...


Not quite true: both the front AND back (just behind the pilot)
canopy pieces are replaced...to "smooth the airflow".


Here are a couple links to pictures of an 1-26 "Sport Canopy:"http://www.126association.org/graphics/lfsidesport.jpghttp://www.126association.org/graphics/harry-sport2.jpg

Wayne
HP-14 "6F"http://www.soaridaho.com/

Here are some pix showing "all the pieces," showing a normal canopy
and a sports canopy (front and aft):
http://www.soarelsinore.org/graphics/sprtcomp4.jpg (all four pieces,
in front of the ship)
http://www.soarelsinore.org/graphics/sprtcomp3.jpg (normal canopy,
installed)
http://www.soarelsinore.org/graphics/sprtcomp1.jpg (sport canopy,
installed)
....and a pic of me "freezing" (29 deg F, 12,500 MSL, sucking oxygen
through the hose, because the mask is on the ground...)
http://www.soarelsinore.org/graphics/309sist.jpg

The "performance cost" has not been documented (that I can find). The
rumors of anvil-like glide performance are exaggerated, IMHO. Most of
these reports seem to come from pilots who have the CABIN for the
airspeed static pressure source, rather than hooked up to the external
static ports (normally on the nosecone, sometimes on the aft
fuselage). The normal statics are sometimes "reserved" for the
vario(s).

I installed an alternate static source switch (normal static =
nosecone side statics, alternate = cabin). When switching from normal
to alternate, the airspeed indication jumps +10 mph. This means the
pilots flying with cabin static source were flying 10 mph SLOWER than
they thought, which we know will kill L/D far more than flying faster.

Yes, I'd like to do a flight test to measure L/D with Sports (and
regular) canopies. It's on my list of things to do, but nowhere near
the top.

The glider handles very nicely (including stalls & spins) with either
canopy.

Other than the unexpected mountain wave (which took me to 29F @ 12k),
it's quite fun to fly occasionally with "the top down."

-Pete
#309