Nice article, Tyler!

I wasn’t thinking of damage to the tub, but to the hinge and/or latch assemblies. In any case, I'll re-iterate: I'm all for coming up with a protected cockpit for the drivers. It's just not as straightforward as people are thinking, and there are secondary effects that have to be considered.

Oh, and one more thing about the fighter canopy used in the F1 test. Those canopies are somewhere around 5/8” thick, and optical distortions and reflections are ALWAYS issues with the pilot community. I expect it would be more of an issue with the drivers, which would have to deal with more severe curvatures (due to…

I’m all for coming up with a good (or acceptable) solution, but a canopy isn’t going to save everyone. In recent memory Bianchi and Wehldon would most likely still have perished, canopy or not. I don’t buy the “flipped over and can’t get out” argument, as the driver is essentially pinned in that situation right now.

If it was a direct impact then I'm surprised Justin wasn't killed instantly. Devastating news that he passed earlier today. :(

Utterly, utterly, random trivia: you picked one of my favorite Raptor photos. This picture is taken over the Edwards AFB flight test area after a period of monsoon rain. The red coloration is an algae bloom that is not that rare but only lasts for a day or so. Looks like a painting or retouched photo, but it's not!

Senna, probably (g-loads were massive), Massa, definitely. Bianchi, doubtful (there’s just not that much room between a canopy and the helmet in these open-wheel configurations, his helmet would just have hit the side of the canopy while it was hitting the crane). Wilson, I’ll put in the probably category. We (well,…

RIP Lee Behel :(

Thanks for the update!

What is that sensor right at the start of the wing box strake? Wouldn’t think it’d be a targeting pod, but can't think of anything else.

Then really, REALLY, don't look at the Indy 500 seating.

The “aero” part of the car’s design generates downforce when the car is pointed in the right direction (forward). When the car gets backwards those same shapes start generating lift. The roof and cowl flaps pop up to destroy that lift.

The door isn't just open/shut, the door open angle changes with forward airspeed.

That's the inlet door to the front lift fan. Hinged the way it is allows cleaner airflow into the fan while the plane is in forward flight. It wouldn't work hinged the other way when at higher speeds with the vertical lift mode engaged.

I think I'm missing on the hospital stays. I know that's not reality, but that's what my brain says.

I asked our chief test pilot (F-117, F-22, F-35 that I know of) when he would decide to eject, and his answer was interesting: "when my fear of staying with the aircraft exceeds my fear of the ejection seat". I've read pilot reports from several ejections that found themselves in similar situations the Gripen's pilot…

The vertical rate is controlled by the pilot. They do get them down pretty quickly to a.) minimize deck heating and b.) minimize skating on the gear once it's on the deck.

Pilot controlled.

Pretty close, but for the geeky details, there’s actually an explosive cord that runs around the perimeter of the canopy and down the centerline. It splits the canopy into two pieces and blows them out and away from the pilot as the first steps in the ejection sequence.

That’s the F-16. Wingtip missiles recover some of the energy of the wingtip vortices and reduces induced drag more than the added parasitic drag.