Peter Dohm wrote:


--------much snipped----------
I reached the same conclusion, that the canopy was open; and also that the
remarks about the boarding stairs were poorly phrased and more likely should
have read that the stairs wuld retract as the canopy was lowered to be
latched.

In any case, despite BWB's quirks and medications we do keep coming bach to
the matter of the canopy, and perhaps to the matter of hinged forward
canopies in general. It is certainly worrysome, although not surprising,
that two documented cases of canopies opening at or after takeoff had such
radically different symptoms. From the little that I have read about boat
hulls and the use of a slight "spoon area near the transome to prevent
oscillation, I am inclined to infer that the difference between a canopy
that might simply open slightly in trail and one which might oscillate
wildly could be a nearly imperceptable difference near the upper trailing
edge--and could easily be less than the thickness of the paint on the canopy
frame.

Peter
My conclusion does not please me!


However an open canopy would effect handling (and I can see nightmares there),
there is one point we've kind of skipped over...

If the canopy latches were not damaged,
then I would surmise that it was not latched.

That would be pilot error - pure and simple.

I'm going to stay with my first impression.
BWB had no business being in the left seat.


Richard

The superior pilot uses his superior judgment
to avoid having to use his superior skills.