Quote:
Originally Posted by Romanator21
canopies are not designed to hold the weight of a plane
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Actually if I recall correctly one reason the canopy of the bf109 is such a 'strange' design is that it gives the pilot some protection when the plane flips.
Also the bf109 canopy is hinged, rather than following the conventional sliding type design. This is so that it can take a lot of damage and still be jettisoned, in order to bail out. The bubble canopies on the spitfire and P-51 etc would often get jammed when only slightly damaged. This trapped many pilots in their planes and they weren't able to bail out.
I have managed to land in fields without flipping but it's mainly a matter of luck.