India42:
Thanks for that Canadian canopy diagram - it's a corker! I wasn't aware that they also had a drag flap.
Dan Winterland:
There must be a number of my signatures in the 700s Dora 9 has with his spiders. I flew WG478 a lot.
Simon, I was aware you often flew WG478 (still puzzling about your "the fastest Chipmunk" comments - I'm having all sorts of issues with speed at the moment) but there's been a lot going on here currently and, other than brushing off the livestock, I haven't had much time to look through the old paperwork -but I will soon, and look out for your signature!
WanderOO:
Aah, had not appreciated that early Canadian Chipmunks had the "UK style" hood
Not really! All "glasshouse" Canadian canopies had a much narrower cross-section (much "pointier" at the top), the windscreen not only had the same cross-section (obviously) but viewed from the side had a different profile, having a flat horizontal lower edge (UK-built Chippies have a curved edge) - it's obvious in the photo. Further the canopy release handles were on the centreline (biased towards the LHS on UK builds) while the side-panel release latches were located in the centre of the LH side panel sill (as opposed to forward LH corner for the fwd panel and aft RH corner for the aft panel).
DHC-1A's (the first 62 Canadian-built Chipmunks) also had notably thinner framing. Contary to some opinions, the framed canopy, albiet with thicker frames, continued with the DHC-1B. The first 39 aircraft (DHC-1B-2's, DHC-1B-2-S1's and DHC-1B-2-S2's) all had framed canopies. Neither had the bulged rear canopy side panel. It wasn't until the advent of the DHC-1B-2-S3 order of 39 aircraft for Canadian Flying Clubs (paid for by the Canadian Government) that the blown canopy appeared. Even so these aircraft (and the subsequent RCAF DHC-1B-2-S5, sometimes called the Chipmunk T.30 in that service) retained the original profile windscreen, which (apart from the different side rail mountings) is why a Canadian blown canopy won't fit a UK-built Chipmunk...