Diana-2 VH-VHZ, stranded in Australia (pic links only)

On Jul 29, 1:07 pm, John Galloway wrote:
At 06:00 29 July 2007, Bob Kuykendall wrote:





On Jul 28, 9:20 pm, Marc Ramsey wrote:

Looks like they deepened the canopy cut out at the
back to allow a bit
better view down. That's the sort of thing prototypes
are used for. Is
that the best evidence you have of changes?

It kinda looks that way. However, it is a far from
trivial thing to
change the canopy rail curve that drastically. There
are somewhere
between three and six molds you'd have to change, and
I can't imagine
going to the trouble unless it was really important.
I don't think the
minor visibility improvement in that direction would
justify it.

Moving the wing forward that little bit requires almost
as much
tooling change as changing the canopy rail curve. However,
the
resulting CG shift might really come in handy. If the
empty CG was
coming out further forward than they originally expected
(say, if they
were originally too pessimistic about the shell weights
of the aft
fuselage and tail parts), moving the wing forward can
mean less trim
ballast, lower trim drag, greater cockpit payload,
or some combination
of all three.

So, Marc, you could well be right, but I'm betting
the other way on
this one.

Thanks, and best regards to all

Bob K.
http://www.hpaircraft.com/hp-24

See:

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/chrisi...to#50924269483
65588402

This picture has a comparison grid that seems to be
accurately placed on the basis that the nose to rear
of canopy and nose to front of canopy dimensions are
the very closely matched. If that analysis is correct
then the grid shows that the wing of S/N 3 is not
moved forward compared to what we are told is the prototype
(labelled S/N 2) and the canopy lower rear contour
looks to be cut more angularly.

From comparison of the relative port and starboard
rear cockpit frame positions it looks as if SN 3 is
photographed from a slightly more forward viewpoint
but not enough to make one grid box difference to the
position of the wing leading edge which is what would
be required to bring the prototype leading edge as
close to the canopy as S/N 3.

If the there is any doubt remaining then nose to leading
edge measurements of Bill's glider and the Australian
one would be definitive would they not?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

It appears to me that the images are not scaled identicly,
easely seen on the lettering and the canopy frame.
Udo