Comment

Comment by Eugene Stone-Romero on October 19, 2021 at 3:09pm

Hi Joe:

I recommend that you see the link shown. It flies in the face of your claim that I have no evidence that 601 canopies can open fully in-flight. 

http://www.zenith.aero/profiles/blogs/zenith-601-xl-canopy-opened-d...

I could provide other reports of canopies opening fully. However, I don't think that you would view them as credible.

Comment by Ian McClelland on July 1, 2013 at 12:11am

OK. That's good. Anton Myer is another source for some 601 parts from Europe. He has sourced some parts for me on a share freight basis in the past. I purchased his spare canopy and composite U/C leg.

Comment by Shafid Khan on July 1, 2013 at 12:00am

Not yet Ian. I am organising one via Australia to cut the cost of freight. The canopy is around $600 USD and freight is more than canopy unless the Ausies can help me to bring one in their container. The duck-tape is holding the canopy together and I am still flying. Cheers.

Comment by Ian McClelland on June 30, 2013 at 11:50pm

Hi Shafid.

Did you get your canopy replaced OK?

Comment by Les Bolen on May 30, 2013 at 2:04pm

Thank goodness you are OK and had the wits about you to land safely. Phill I like your design so much, im going to copy it and use it in  my 650, got the parts on order.

Comment by Ian McClelland on May 26, 2013 at 12:06am

I have designed and installed a 601XLB canopy securing device. I believe that most canopy open in flight occurrences are caused by:

1. failure to secure the canopy before flight

2. inadvertently knocking the handle during turbulence in flight

3. incorrect rigging of the latch mechanism.

Therefore I have come up with a canopy handle locking guard that physically holds the handle in the latched position. One significant advantage of this design is that this handle guard can be opened from inside the cockpit OR from outside the aircraft.

Comment by Jerry Griego on May 16, 2013 at 6:14pm

Glad to hear you landed safely.

Comment by Michael Herder on May 13, 2013 at 12:29pm

@ Phil,

 

I like that your design will afford some protection against damaged canopy assembly while parked and opening your canopy with a strong tailwind.  I always open mine with extreme caution on the ground paying attention to the windsock.  I'd suggest making sure that your rope length be a few inches short of your max opening so you don't ever allow stress on the plunger mechanism.  Two things happen when you open the canopy with  a tailwind: 

1) It can get away from you quickly and if it does it'd be pretty easy to damage the hinges and hydraulic plunger.

2)  You now have a very nice spinaker sail on your Zodiac, and your Zodie will very gladly roll into anything in it's path if you haven't set a parking brake.  With my luck it would find the nearest Cirrus :)

Comment by Patrick Hoyt on May 10, 2013 at 3:13pm

Mine opened in flight. There's a write-up in the Zodiac forum dated January 13th on that.

A secondary latch is mandatory, IMHO. I installed the same one Phill did. In my case, I accidentally unlatched it when pulling a backpack from the baggage compartment, after which the canopy opened. One other time it started to come open, but the secondary latch stopped it. I triple-check it before every flight.

I also modified the 650 latches to take more "bite", and haven't had any problems since.

- Pat

Comment by Phill Barnes on May 9, 2013 at 3:38am

Hi Shafid

A secondary latch is mandatory in Australia. Here is what I did using a sailing boat rope cleat. It's model is a Spinlock PXR0206 and a 6mm rope. Flick the rope firmly rearward to lock and forward to release.

 

Regards

Phill

 

 

 

 

 

 

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