Canopy... Clear Green or Blue ?
Steve B
tinted canopy. Any thoughts on the subject would be welcome.
Thanks
Steve
Stewart Kissel
Google RAS for some lengthy threads on this subject, sorta like discussin=
g guns or religion for gliderpilots!!
Scott Correa
On a sunny day, you can wear a hat and good sunglasses. On a murky
overdeveloping day, you can't make a canopy lighter to see better.
I also like static cling film tinting. You can stick it on the inside of
the canopy
in a panel above you and still have great fwd and side visability.
UV protection is usually provided by additives in the plastic used today,
and the coloring doesn't affect that.
If you want to tint it, I love gold metal vapor deposited coatings...
Looks really cool and doesn't mess with color perception looking thru it too
much.
Scott Correa
www.spektrproducts.com
"Stewart Kissel" <REMOVE_TO_REPL...@hotmail.com> wrote in
message news:bjsv43$mu3d9$1...@ID-49798.news.uni-berlin.de...
CH
- against snow and clouds a tinted canopied glider can be seen better
- a tinted canopy creates less reflections inside (cloth, shoes, maps..
my friends with DG's prefer the tinted ones)
Chris
"Steve B" <barne...@hawaii.rr.com> wrote in message
news:76be114b.03091...@posting.google.com...
Henryk Birecki
>There are two reasons for a tinted canopy:
>- against snow and clouds a tinted canopied glider can be seen better
>- a tinted canopy creates less reflections inside (cloth, shoes, maps..
> my friends with DG's prefer the tinted ones)
I am not going to comment on the first reason, the second one makes no
sense to me. There are "less reflections" because there is less light
inside cocpit. There is less light because of the tint, which makes
your pupils open more to compensate. The ratio between the reflected
light intensity and the intensity of image yoy want to see remains the
same, however your visual accuity is compromised by lower illumination
level (wider pupils).
I would think the only advantage of a tinted canopy would be that it
probably is not as hot inside due to direct sun heating (I am only
guessing)
Henryk Birecki
Greg Arnold
the typical glider canopy is so light that I don't think it makes any
difference. Save the money you would spend on the tint, and spend it on an
swivelling eyeball vent in the panel -- that will have a lot more effect on
comfort in the cockpit.
"Henryk Birecki" <bir...@hpl.hp.com> wrote in message
news:he45mvon8r58smi6a...@4ax.com...
CH
I checked it again on the DG home page and there
the following information can be found:
(part of it is from Mecaplex Switzerland)
""
The one minor limitation is the relatively frequent
appearance of disturbing reflections. This happens
mostly in the foot region where, in other gliders,
the instrument panel blocks the view. While it can
be disturbing, the easiest solution to this problem
is simply to wear dark clothing.
It would be better, of course, to have a more built-
in solution to the problem. We have discussed the
possibilities with the canopy manufacturer (Meca-
plex) in Switzerland. Unfortunately, an anti reflec-
tive coating of the type used with eyeglasses is not
feasible. These coatings are costly and not very
durable.
Mecaplex recommends using a tinted canopy which
greatly reduces the reflections. Wilhelm Dirks, our
chief designer, has a tinted canopy on his glider. He
reports no disturbing reflections, and no problem
landing even when it is nearly dark. The loss of trans-
mitted light due to tinting during cloudy weather or
in the evening is not a factor. Generally the problem
in aircraft is too much light.
On the basis of our experience, we highly recommend
the tinted canopy. Not only are the reflections much
less bright, the tint is also much easier on the eyes.
We also asked Mecaplex about the transmission of UV
light through the canopy. The canopies do not totally
screen out UV, but do absorb about 95% of it.
That means the sun is no problem. For long flights
which may reach high altitudes, pilots with no previous
exposure to strong sun should use a topical sunscreen.
Direct UV-Blocker are not necessary. Tinted canopies
even give a little better protection from UV rays.
""
my next glider for sure will have a tinted canopy.
Chris
"Henryk Birecki" <bir...@hpl.hp.com> wrote in message
news:he45mvon8r58smi6a...@4ax.com...
Eric Greenwell
cho...@gmx.net says...
> Mecaplex recommends using a tinted canopy which
> greatly reduces the reflections. Wilhelm Dirks, our
> chief designer, has a tinted canopy on his glider. He
> reports no disturbing reflections, and no problem
> landing even when it is nearly dark. The loss of trans-
> mitted light due to tinting during cloudy weather or
> in the evening is not a factor. Generally the problem
> in aircraft is too much light.
"Too much light" hasn't been a problem for this glider pilot,
especially as he gets older. It's getting harder to read instruments,
especially PDA's, and maps, so I would recommend a colorless canopy
unless Steve B is a young man (I know he's not thinking of getting a
DG!).
--
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directly
Eric Greenwell
Richland, WA (USA)
CH
and I have to admit, that I came into the age as well.
First you just think it is too dark to read the figures,
because you recognise them easily in broad light.
But then you try with your friends reading glasses
and find out - heck I need them to see sharp. the
reduced light just has an additional effect, because
the pupils open wider and that influences the sharp
vision range.
I hate reading glasses in the cockpit - I would prefer
one big glas screen, showing the figures BIG ;-)
Chris
"Eric Greenwell" <flyg...@charterDECIMAL.POINTnet> wrote in message >
> "Too much light" hasn't been a problem for this glider pilot,
> especially as he gets older. It's getting harder to read instruments,
> especially PDA's, and maps, so I would recommend a colorless canopy
> unless Steve B is a young man (I know he's not thinking of getting a
> DG!).
John Galloway
light of a tinted canopy will significantly affect
your vision!
If, like me, you now need a reading correction then
a good pair of bi-focal sunglasses will benefit you
hugely more than worrying about theoretical, and in
practice undetectable, visual acuity effects from a
tinted canopy.
There is a lot of nonsense written about tinted canopies
on RAS (see my previous posts in earlier threads).
However, there are significant downsides to a tinted
canopy namely the extra cost and the extra heat expansion
of the canopy in very hot weather - this, I have found,
is a problem on a long canopied 2 seater until you
learn the techniques to shrink it before flight.
John Galloway
At 06:18 13 September 2003, Ch wrote:
>:-) I know this problem Eric,
>and I have to admit, that I came into the age as well.
>First you just think it is too dark to read the figures,
>because you recognise them easily in broad light.
>But then you try with your friends reading glasses
>and find out - heck I need them to see sharp. the
>reduced light just has an additional effect, because
>the pupils open wider and that influences the sharp
>vision range.
>I hate reading glasses in the cockpit - I would prefer
>one big glas screen, showing the figures BIG ;-)
>Chris
>
>
>'Eric Greenwell' wrote in message >
S Steve Adkins
better. Overheating and dehydration is dangerous.
Photo taken through the blue canopy, I'm in the Owl:
http://www.soarmn.com/paul_remde/photos/owl_in_flight.jpg
View of the 1-35c:
http://www.soarmn.com/paul_remde/photos/135cwt1.JPG
Regards,
S. Steve Adkins
http://www.sailplanehomebuilders.com
In reply to: "Steve B" <barne...@hawaii.rr.com
Eric Greenwell
cho...@gmx.net says...
> "Eric Greenwell" <flyg...@charterDECIMAL.POINTnet> wrote in message >
> > "Too much light" hasn't been a problem for this glider pilot,
> > especially as he gets older. It's getting harder to read instruments,
> > especially PDA's, and maps, so I would recommend a colorless canopy
> > unless Steve B is a young man (I know he's not thinking of getting a
> :-) I know this problem Eric,
> and I have to admit, that I came into the age as well.
> First you just think it is too dark to read the figures,
> because you recognise them easily in broad light.
> But then you try with your friends reading glasses
> and find out - heck I need them to see sharp. the
> reduced light just has an additional effect, because
> the pupils open wider and that influences the sharp
> vision range.
> I hate reading glasses in the cockpit - I would prefer
> one big glas screen, showing the figures BIG ;-)
> Chris
I've been using the stick-on bifocals, which work well, except that
you still have to look through the sunglass tint. I've been
considering trying a pair of Sunreaders, which get around this
problem. Their Pilot models look like they have the bifocal part lower
on the lens than normal, and no tint there. Here are a couple of
companies offering them:
https://www.readysecure1.com/users/macseecom/order_online.htm
http://readyreadingglasses.com/sunreaders2.htm
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Eric Greenwell
Richland, WA (USA)
Eric Greenwell
REMOVE_TO_REPLY...@btinternet.com says...
> Better not wear sun glasses if you feel that the reduced
> light of a tinted canopy will significantly affect
> your vision!
At least you can remove the sunglasses in flight at no cost. Removing
the tinted canopy in flight would be expensive!
--
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directly
Eric Greenwell
Richland, WA (USA)
NigelPocock
>tinted canopy. Any thoughts on the subject would be welcome.
>
>Thanks
Why not an orange tint the same as you get on soaring sunglasses . Seems
logical to me, but I am sure someone out there will disagree
Nigel
Steve B
Great Pictures
"S Steve Adkins" <sad...@isdTAKEOUT.net> wrote in message news:<vm6k157...@corp.supernews.com>...
John Galloway
once in 27 seasons found sunglasses off to be preferrable
to sunglasses on in a glider.
The light reduction from a tinted canopy is a fraction
of that from the average sunglasses. They just look
dark from the outside because the observer is firstly,
looking through 2 layers of canopy, and secondly, looking
from the outside in.
It is an 'urban myth' that blue/green tinted canopies
have a detectable adverse effect on visual acuity.
People hypothesise possible mechanisms whereby the
acuity could be affected but unfortunately forget to
make the observations to find out whether the hypothesis
is an actual fact. I have studied this matter using
our blue tinted canopy Duo by comparing looking through
the canopy and the open clear view panel at distant
small objects with different coloured sunglasses, conditions
and P2s and have previously reported back on the findings
to this forum.
Personally I think that the biggest benefit is cosmetic
and there are downsides like heat expansion and colour
distortion of photographs that the human eye is unaware
of in flight. My next glider will have a clear canopy
for these reasons.
John Galloway
At 18:54 13 September 2003, Eric Greenwell wrote:
>In article ,
Brian Case
for a week the number 1 thing I missed about my HP was the Tinted
canopy. The Tinting makes it cooler and I think visiblity is not
reduced very little if anything noticable. Some of the difference in
opinion on tinting may be due to were you fly. It may not be as much
of an issue on the east cost as it is in the Western US were we fly in
typically warmer temperatures and Higher Altitudes.
In summary I would never by an untinted canopy, as I love my blue
tinted caopy.
you can look at mine at http://www.soaridaho.com/Schreder/
Thanks
Brian
CFIIG/ASEL
barne...@hawaii.rr.com (Steve B) wrote in message news:<76be114b.03091...@posting.google.com>...