Opening the canopy of the T-33

Working with Gene has been fun. Today, after three weeks of tinkering with the T-33's panels and exterior mechanisms, and studying the T.O. (which is like a military term for user's manual), Gene and I put all the pieces together.

He used a flat head screw driver in the hexagon hole and turned it with an allen wrench (thanks to a square post on the screwdriver) while I watched the actuator inside the cockpit and the canopy opening lever move to the forward position, which the T.O. said was the "canopy unlocked" position. Once it was determined that the canopy was unlocked, Gene straddled himself in front of the windscreen facing aft and together we used flat head screwdrivers, first to lift the canopy 1/4 inch, and then we stuffed a second flat head screwdriver into the gap and continued likewise until we could hold it open with the wooden chock blocks of our airplane. As this process occurred, we watched the hinge of the canopy carefully, making sure nothing was being forced or damaged.

I became the town crier, and went from volunteer to volunteer and staff, to share the exciting news. This canopy hadn't been opened since 1983! Soon Bill drove a forklift over. He weaved a strap through the gap we created thus far, and attached it to the prongs on the fork lift. Then he lifted the canopy by raising the forklift prongs even further. I took pictures while Gene and Bill looked at different things inside the cockpit. The seat cushion was taken out to save the material it was made of so it could be reproduced.