Important notice
Please remember that people from all over the world read and post on this forum, and that every country has its own rules, regulations and standards. This forum is based in the USA and so much of the information posted here is for the benefit of people who operate aircraft in the experimental/exhibition or experimental/racing categories. Advice given on this forum may be region specific. A person from Europe, for example, may make suggestions perfectly appropriate for a U.S reader, although not acceptable in his home country!

Please take this into account and carefully consult the authorities, standards and approved documentation where you fly.
Fournier Forums Upload picture | User Cp  |  Register  |  Members  |  Search  |  Help
    |- Fournier Aircraft > Modifications Post New Topic   Post A Reply
Open Cockpit Fourniers printer friendly version
next newest post | next oldest post
Author Messages
Bob Grimstead
Captain

Gender: Male
Location: Perth, Western Australia or West Sussex, England
Registered: Dec 2006
Status: Offline
Posts: 2027

Click here to see the profile for Bob Grimstead Visit http://www.redhawksduo.co.uk Send email to Bob Grimstead Send private message to Bob Grimstead Find more posts by Bob Grimstead Edit or delete this message Reply w/Quote
Posted Thursday, August 31, 2017 @ 08:39 AM  

Hi Antti,

I am sorry, but that earlier photo storage provider did not keep the pictures indefinitely, as they had promised.

Yes, this 'torpedo' was made by Sportavia and is a factory option (like the cranked control column, the tail lifting handle and the aerobatic fuel cap) but I have no paperwork, and none of those things appears in the parts list, having been designed later, presumably.

Having bought it in the dark days of winter 2013/2014, I only fitted it for the first time two days ago. I can now tell you that it is better than my Australian home-made one, being less draughty and providing much better illumination of the instrument panel. It does not seem to reduce performance in any way, my cruise speed still being 90 kts with fuel consumption still around 12 lph.

I shall probably (eventually) make a similar one for my Australian RF4D to replace this one.

I think that Dave Hook might still have a proper Sportavia open canopy (torpedo) for sale, but last I heard he was asking the crazy price of £1,000.
And I bet is doesn't have paperwork either!
I think I paid £200 for mine.

Dave's e-mail address: hookytb9@gmail.com

Good luck 😃

--------------------
Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV

Bob Grimstead
Captain

Gender: Male
Location: Perth, Western Australia or West Sussex, England
Registered: Dec 2006
Status: Offline
Posts: 2027

Click here to see the profile for Bob Grimstead Visit http://www.redhawksduo.co.uk Send email to Bob Grimstead Send private message to Bob Grimstead Find more posts by Bob Grimstead Edit or delete this message Reply w/Quote
Posted Tuesday, September 5, 2017 @ 03:22 PM  

...and here is a similar German one...

If I were making one now, I would not use the 4130 steel tubing that Sportavia used for these canopies. Or, at least, I would only use 4130 for the rear hoop, which probably doubles as a roll-over pilot protection hoop.
That 4130 is very hard to bend, and even harder to hit with your face in a crash.
The whole assembly is brazed.
I intend to modify my Australian one with a soft aluminuim alloy tube for the middle hoop — the one that your face would modify in any sudden deceleration. I shall probably pop-rivet that softer hoop in place so that the rivets shear and the hoop and forward decking crumple in an accident.
Those are just my thoughts in retrospect.

Yours, Bob

--------------------
Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV

Antti
Corporal

Gender: Male
Location: Finland
Registered: Sep 2009
Status: Offline
Posts: 28

Click here to see the profile for Antti Visit http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6100956987&ref=ts Send email to Antti Send private message to Antti Find more posts by Antti Edit or delete this message Reply w/Quote
Posted Tuesday, September 26, 2017 @ 10:12 AM  

Thanks, Bob, for the info and the pics! Markku's cracked one seems to have the crack too much in front to be usable for the torpedo. I still have to think about it!

--------------------
***** RF4D OH-370 - RF4D OH-371 - RF4D OH-373 - RF5 0H-386 *****

Pages 3 of 3 Pages: 1, 2, 3
Post New Topic   Post A Reply Jump to:
Contact Us | cfiamerica.com | Privacy Policy All times are GMT -4 Hours.
Welcome to The Fournier Forum, Guest!  
Login
Username :
Password :
In order to fully utilize the abilities of this board, you are required to register as a member. Registration is free, and allows you to do lots of things including turning on or off certain features of this board. Register now!
Forum Rules & Description
Who Can Read The Forum? Any registered user or guest
Who Can Post New Topics? Any registered user
Who Can Post Replies? Any registered user
Who Can Edit Posts? Any original author
How can you improve on perfection?
Currently Active Users: 83
There are currently 0 members and 83 guests on the boards. | Most users ever online was 822 on 08-01-2020 10:15 PM
Search This Forum
Search Keywords: Search From:
Powered by CuteCast v2.0 BETA 2
Copyright © 2001-2003 ArtsCore Studios