Temporarily Out of
Production Unfortunately, the manufacturer of
the Canopy Cap has been injured and has completely halted production.
She does not yet know when she will be able to re-start production. I
am still taking orders, but I have no way of predicting when they will be
able to ship. I will not bill your credit card until your Canopy Cap
ships. I will update this web page as soon as production resumes.
Overview
The Canopy Cap is designed to be a light weight, compact, reflective shade
cover for use when rigging and while waiting on the grid. The simple design
allows easy access and your cockpit is always shaded and cool. When you are
ready for take off, slip the cover off and stow it in the included storage
bag in the glider while you fly.
Important Notes
The light weight design is not meant for
extended use outdoors.
It is not a replacement for a
heavyweight, all weather cover.
Do not use it while trailering as it
won’t allow the canopy to be locked.
Sun Shield Option
The Sun Shield option is a fabric panel that stretches across the rear of
the open canopy. Its purpose is to prevent burns to the instrument panel
caused by sunlight reflecting and magnifying off of the canopy. The cost of
the option is: $20.00. This option is available only for sailplanes
with front-hinged canopies. Click on the images below to view larger
versions.
PIK-20D - Note: The Canopy Cap for Ventus 2c has been reported to fit perfectly on a PIK-20D. If you
own a PIK-20D please order the Ventus 2c version. This is not a
factory standard option. I can't guarantee that it is accurate.
Apis, Silent
Schempp-Hirth A, B including Discus,
Discus 2, Ventus, Ventus 2, Nimbus 2, 3, MiniNimbus
You probably have seen it – a glider on
the ground with a silver canopy that, on closer inspection, actually is
a canopy covered with a formfitting silver “canopy cap.” This new
soaring item is produced by Cheryl Franklin of Franklin Fabrication.
Cheryl is the wife of Region 12 pilot Dan Fitzgerald.
Called the Platinum Canopy Cap, the
product is not intended to replace the traditional canopy cover. The Cap
does not protect from rain or dust, and the canopy cannot be latched
when it is installed. Instead, the purpose of the Cap is to keep the sun
out of the cockpit before and after flying. The traditional canopy cover
will do that, of course, but it is relatively hard to install, and once
installed the canopy cannot be opened unless the cover is removed.
By contrast, the Cap is easy to install.
It is elasticized on the perimeter like a shower cap, so you just put it
around one end of the canopy, and then stretch it and put it around the
other end. More important, once it is installed, the canopy can be
easily opened and closed without removing the cover. This is important
while waiting to launch, since you will want to get into the cockpit at
times, but it is inconvenient to have to remove and reinstall the cover
each time.
Originally, the cap was not available for
side opening canopies, as such canopies have interference from the
hinges. A modified design fixed that. The cover for side-opening
canopies has two elastic straps, one permanently mounted, and the other
with one loose end with a plastic snap. Due to the design, the
side-mounted cover takes a few seconds longer to mount than the
front-hinged cover. However, like the front-hinged cover, once it is
mounted it can be left on the canopy while it is opened and closed.
My glider has a side-hinged canopy. While
the Cap may be marginally more difficult to mount than on a front-hinged
canopy, the additional inconvenience really is not noticeable. What is
noticeable, however, is that the Cap is much easier to install than the
traditional canopy cover. No need to try to get a number of straps to
end up in the right place under the fuselage and behind the wings. And,
of course, the canopy can be easily opened and closed.
The cap comes complete with a small bag,
and in the bag the Cap takes up much less room than a conventional
cover. Just take off the Cap, stuff it in the bag, and throw the bag
behind your head.
The original concept for the Cap came
from Bill Liscomb, who wanted a "shower cap" type cover made from a bed
sheet. After Cheryl made him one, the word spread, and the Canopy
Cap was born.
Next, the shift was made to the current
material. It is a reflective four-way-stretch material with a laminated
coating. Dan reports that it has fair abrasion resistance and will not
fray if cut. The silver coating will lose some of it's brightness with
use, but none of its function. Dan says that a user can expect at least
two seasons of frequent use while waiting on the grid in our Southwest
desert conditions. The cover can be hand washed using a mild detergent
such as Woolite. Hang it indoors to dry. Do not iron.
The final development of the cover
occurred when Pat Russette came up with the idea of the Sun Shield. This
is a flap at the back of the cover that prevents the low sun in the
winter from bouncing off the inside of the canopy and reflecting
downward to burn the glare shield (see photos).
Note: I have had a customer mention that I
should clarify that since the Canopy Cap wraps around the edges of the
glider canopy, it is not possible to latch the canopy closed while the
Canopy Cap is in place. The customer was concerned that his Nimbus 3
canopy would blow open. However, I have sold literally hundreds of Canopy
Caps for use on gliders with side-hinged canopies and I have not had any
complaints of issues with the canopy blowing open. Due to the weight
of the canopy I think it is unlikely to be a problem.
Find
the care label near the center seam. This is the front of the canopy
cover.
Place the rear of the cover over the back of your raised canopy and
hook the elastic around both rear corners.
Pull the cover forward and hook the elastic around the front of the
canopy and at both front corners.
Straighten the center seam to align down the middle of the canopy
and adjust any wrinkles along the sides until smooth.
You can now raise and lower your canopy at will during set up and
while on the grid. There are no inconvenient straps to get in the
way!
The Sun Shield option (not shown) will prevent damage to your
instrument panel caused by the sun’s rays magnifying off of the
inside of your raised canopy.
Version
for Side-Hinged Canopies
Find the care label near
the center seams. This is the front of the canopy cover.
Stand on the left side of the glider with the canopy open.
Hook the elastic over the front corners of the canopy with the strap
underneath the canopy frame.
Pull the cover toward the rear, then hook the elastic over the rear
corners of the canopy.
Connect the strap to the buckle.
Straighten the center seams to align down the center of the canopy
and adjust any wrinkles along the sides until smooth.
You can now raise and lower your canopy at will during set up and
while on the grid. There are no inconvenient straps to get in the
way!
How to Order
To order a product, click on the
button next to the product.
When you are ready to complete your order, click on the
button.
Click on the small images to view larger versions.
Part #
Description
Photo Click on image to view larger version
Price
Lead-time
CanopyCap-1-Canopy
Canopy Cap - Single Seat
Glider with 1 Canopy Enter the sailplane type at check-out. Be sure to check
availability for your sailplane using the
table
above before ordering.
You can also add the optional Sun
Shield using the separate "Add to Cart" button at the bottom of the page. Note that it is not on option for use on
sailplanes with side-hinged canopies, and it is not yet available for
all sailplane types. Please check the
table
above before ordering to verify that it is available for your sailplane.
Note: Canopy Cap items ship directly to you
from the manufacturer. If you order other items, they will ship
separately from Cumulus Soaring, Inc.
Canopy Cap - Two-Seat
Glider with 2 Canopies Enter the sailplane type at check-out. Be sure to check
availability for your sailplane using the
table
above before ordering.
You can also add the optional Sun
Shield using the separate "Add to Cart" button at the bottom of the page. Note that it is not on option for use on
sailplanes with side-hinged canopies, and it is not yet available for
all sailplane types. Please check the
table
above before ordering to verify that it is available for your sailplane.
Note: Canopy Cap items ship directly to you
from the manufacturer. If you order other items, they will ship
separately from Cumulus Soaring, Inc.
No photos available of 2-seat gliders with
Canopy Caps
Canopy Cap SunShield
Option - Single Seat Glider with 1 Canopy The Sun Shield option is a fabric panel that stretches across the rear of
the open canopy. It's purpose is to prevent burns to the instrument panel
caused by sunlight reflecting and magnifying off of the canopy. The cost of
the option is: $20.00.
The SunShield it is not on option for use on
sailplanes with side-hinged canopies, and it is not yet available for
all sailplane types. Please check the
table
above before ordering to verify that it is available for your sailplane.
Canopy Cap SunShield
Option - Two-Seat Glider with 2 Canopies The Sun Shield option is a fabric panel that stretches across the rear of
the open canopy. It's purpose is to prevent burns to the instrument panel
caused by sunlight reflecting and magnifying off of the canopy. The cost of
the option is: $40.00.
The SunShield it is not on option for use on
sailplanes with side-hinged canopies, and it is not yet available for
all sailplane types. Please check the
table
above before ordering to verify that it is available for your sailplane.
button next to the product. 
button. 
