#Jettison canopy full

When parts must move relative to each other, it is a tricky balance trying to meet functional requirements while managing manufacturability, serviceability, weight, cost, complexity, and so on. Mechanisms with motion can get complicated quickly. This portion of the canopy design had remained as a bit of a question mark for some time due to design constraints. The jettison mechanism allows the canopy of the prototype DarkAero 1 to separate from the airframe, whether for service or in an emergency scenario during testing. The design, fabrication, installation, and preliminary testing of the canopy jettison mechanism was another milestone completed in February.

#Jettison canopy full

The brackets were reinforced with pre-molded carbon fiber tapes, and the canopy assembly was installed once again back onto the fuselage to verify proper fit and smooth hinging of the canopy through its full range of motion.Īctuation of the canopy jettison mechanism. Once the adhesive cured, the locating pins were removed and the canopy assembly was freed from the fuselage to reveal the bonded in brackets. The instrument panel and mounting brackets were then brought into contact with the canopy frame, allowing the mounting brackets to be match bonded in the correct position. Adhesive was applied strategically to the mounting brackets, and the canopy was lowered back onto the fuselage. After the final fit check, the canopy assembly was removed from the fuselage with the mounting brackets left attached to the instrument panel using locating pins. This was accomplished by dry fitting everything together and checking for any interference or excessive gaps. Proper alignment between the instrument panel, canopy, and fuselage was confirmed before the brackets were bonded in place. These mounting brackets structurally tie the canopy assembly to the instrument panel and locate the canopy relative to the fuselage. A key task in the installation process centered around bonding two mounting brackets to the canopy frame. The installation of the new canopy hinge mechanism was completed this past month. Note the excellent optical clarity of the transparent canopy acrylic.