Erik,
Regarding your most recent post:
One poster went so far as to equate it to nothing more than forgetting to turn on your transponder after take off because it "probably happens all the time" and is an "event not worth discussing".
First, I did not say it "probably happens all the time." I do not, in fact, have any data (other than anecdote) on the frequency of such occurrences. Meaningful discussion will not be possible if we put words in each other's mouths.
Second, if you inferred from my post that I believe an open canopy that interferes with aircraft control is the equivalent of forgetting to turn on the transponder then I wasn't clear. That's NOT what I meant. What I meant is you likely haven't heard reports of uneventful open canopy incidents because if such an occurrence truly IS uneventful (i.e. it caused no problems with aircraft control) the pilot will likely not bother to report it, precisely because it was a nonevent. In that case, it would be much like forgetting any other non-critical checklist item, such as taking off with the transponder in standby.
We have yet to establish definitively there is a problem here that needs a solution. I'm hesitant to accept anecdote over the kit manufacturer's word. Human perceptions are far from perfect in the best of circumstances. Add a bit of emergency-induced adrenaline to the mix and perception/recollection can get very fuzzy indeed.
Here are a couple of old posts to the LML I was able to dredge up. First is from Charley Brown regarding an incident where the latch mechanism on one side of his canopy failed in-flight. This suggests it's possible for the Legacy canopy to open in-flight even if properly latched before take-off. It's not entirely clear from the post whether this incident was caused by poor design or incorrect build.
This second is from Dennis Johnson who claims first-hand knowledge of at least one Legacy pilot who successfully and safely flew his aircraft with the canopy open. Dennis also says he's had numerous discussions with other Legacy pilots and believes these occurrences are common.
There are many, many things we could possibly do to mitigate poor checklist discipline, but everything involves trade-offs. For my own part, I would be leery about adding complexity with a secondary latching system, especially when a warning light is fairly easy to implement (a quick search of the LML yields many ideas). I agree that a canopy open light doesn't prevent takeoff with the canopy open, but a failure of the light wouldn't further compromise safety. I would urge we first determine there is a problem worth seeking a solution for before introducing complexity and unknown failure modes to something critical like our only emergency egress route.
Respectfully,
--Mark