Malcolm Hood

[Jim Oxley]

Was a clever design by the firm R Malcolm & Co in Britain, and initially incorporated into the Spitfire design. Benefits were the use of plexiglass that could be moulded, rather than glass sheets. They less likely to harm a pilot in the event of a crash or combat, made a significant weight saving and provided outstanding rear view compared to standard 'straight' canopies.

What I find surprising is that only the P-51 B and C models made use of it, as did the latter models of the F4U.

Was the Malcolm hood ever considered for aircraft such as the early models of the P-47, or the Hurricane, Typhoon, P-40, F4F and F6F?