This article is about aircraft bubble canopies. For vehicle "bubble" canopies, see Vehicle canopy. For other canopies, see Canopy (disambiguation).
F-16 Fighting Falcon showing a bubble canopy
A bubble canopy is an aircraft canopy constructed without bracing, for the purpose of providing a wider unobstructed field of view to the pilot, often providing 360° all-round visibility.
The designs of bubble canopies can vary drastically; some, such as on later versions of the F4U Corsair, are built into the upper rear fuselage, while others, like the canopy of the P-51D Mustang and most modern combat aircraft, are built flush with the fuselage, providing unobstructed rear visibility. Although experimented with as early as the First World War, the bubble canopy was brought into widespread use during the Second World War, being used by a number of American, British, and Japanese aircraft, commonly fighters.
During the postwar era, the bubble canopy became a common feature of jet-powered fighter aircraft. Outside of combat aircraft, such canopies have also been adopted by several helicopters and general aviation aircraft, often for roles that benefit from a high level of exterior visibility, such as aerial reconnaissance.
A bubblecanopy is an aircraft canopy constructed without bracing, for the purpose of providing a wider unobstructed field of view to the pilot, often...
vehicle canopy is a rarely used type of door for cars. It has no official name so it is also known as an articulated canopy, bubblecanopy, cockpit canopy, canopy...
the FMR Tg500. Externally, the narrow body, the transparent acrylic bubblecanopy and low stance were among the more obvious features. The narrow body...
including the narrow body with tandem seating, the transparent acrylic bubblecanopy, the low stance, and the direct steering. The narrow body, and corresponding...
glass canopies were much heavier than acrylic canopies, which were first introduced shortly before the Second World War. The acrylic bubblecanopy was used...
car created in 1961 by Ed "Big Daddy" Roth. The car features a clear bubblecanopy. Speed and direction are controlled by a central joystick in the cabin...
canopy and car-style door, and was fitted with the "chin" radiator, similar to that of the Typhoon. It was quickly fitted with the same bubblecanopy...
monoplane with swept wings and tail and two seats in tandem under a bubblecanopy. The jet intakes are located at the sides of the fuselage and the tricycle...
model, the 47G introduced in 1953, can be recognized by the full "soap bubble" canopy, exposed welded-tube tail boom, saddle fuel tanks and skid landing gear...
Kabinenroller's monocoque structure, featuring tandem seating and usually a bubblecanopy. The Kabinenroller platform was used for four microcars, the three-wheeled...
microcars of the 1950s and 1960s were nicknamed bubble cars. This was due to the aircraft-style bubblecanopies of vehicles such as the Messerschmitt KR175...
J2M5 this version was based on J2M3. Had wider cockpit and improved bubblecanopy later used in J2M3 built since July 1943. J2M6a Model 31A: Chronologically...
sliding bubblecanopy, this can be opened mid-flight if desired, although the presence of both a top lock and two side safety locks prevent the canopy opening...
equipment under the rear canopy; from August 1943, as an interim measure, pending the introduction of the new "bubble" canopy and cut-down dorsal fairing...
also featured small canards above the engine air intakes and a true bubblecanopy, compared to the Mirage 2000 and previous Mirages. Despite the changes...
gained bubblecanopies over the rear cockpit for the drone controller. An F7F-2D used for pilot transitioning also had a rear sliding, bubblecanopy. In...
the works team entered three cars: an old A442, renamed A442A; the bubble-canopied A442B; and the A443. A second A442A was entered by Ecurie Calberson...
configuration, it had fixed tricycle undercarriage and seated the pilot under a bubblecanopy. A single example was built under the designation NU-200 in 1954, and...
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