Danny, a question.
Your comment about the Thunderbolt intrigued me.
What charmed me most of all was the power-operated canopy. Until then, I'd had to struggle awkwardly, dragging it closed and pulling it back open, while trussed up in my harness like a turkey. Now press a button, slides open ! Press again, slides closed ! Marvellous !
As a sprog, I saw plenty of period photos and film of Spitfires/Hurricanes etc. taking off and landing, and I always wondered why pilots commonly left the canopies open. Since then I have been led to believe that having the canopy open improved one's chances of escaping if things went horribly pear-shaped, and you found yourself stationary, upside down and strapped into a hot metal thing with a fuel leak.
Is there any truth to this?
Let's see them try that in an Me109.