The ideal towplane?

[Nick Olson[_3_]]

http://www.airteamimages.com/piper-pa-25-pawnee_LV-X391_-private_130280.html

[Roel Baardman]

Ideal for towing multiple gliders!

In this case, ASK-21 and Pilatus B4.
http://spekje.snt.utwente.nl/~roel/b4_dubbelsleep.jpg

[Tony V]

On 10/29/2012 9:49 AM, Roel Baardman wrote:
> Ideal for towing multiple gliders!

Until your insurance company finds out.

We used to ferry gliders to an encampment (about 100 nm) once or twice a
year on double tows behind a Birddog. We'd fly one on a standard 200 ft
rope and the other on a 300 ft rope - one in high to off to one side,
the other in low tow on the other side. It worked very well. One of our
members called the insurance company (Costello) to ask what they thought
about it. The answer was something like "well, we'd probably settle a
claim but we'd likely decline to renew your policy after the current
expiration". YMMV.

Tony "6N"

>
> In this case, ASK-21 and Pilatus B4.
> http://spekje.snt.utwente.nl/~roel/b4_dubbelsleep.jpg
>

[Roel Baardman]

Sad to hear. In NL double-tow is permitted by law when:
The tow-pilot has experience with double-tows.
The tow-plane can tow the sum of the glider's weights.
The glider pilots have at least 50 tows experience.

I must admit I haven't asked insurance about this.

Roel

[Nick Olson[_3_]]

At 12:53 29 October 2012, Nick Olson wrote:
>http://www.airteamimages.com/piper-pa-25-pawnee_LV-X391_-private_130280.html
>

i.e. 2 seat pawnee with certified 230hp diesel engine - is this the ideal
tow plane?

[kirk.stant]

On Monday, October 29, 2012 12:15:03 PM UTC-5, Nick Olson wrote:
> At 12:53 29 October 2012, Nick Olson wrote: >http://www.airteamimages.com/piper-pa-25-pawnee_LV-X391_-private_130280.html > i.e. 2 seat pawnee with certified 230hp diesel engine - is this the ideal tow plane?

Unless it's got a good air-conditioning system it will be hell to fly on a hot blue day! I like bubble canopies, but at least make it a sliding one so the towpilot can get some fresh air on the way down and can talk to someone on the ground without opening a big heavy bubble. Or just make it an open cockpit, like a P-26! That would be totally cool!

And two seats? Really? For a Pawnee? I guess it would be useful for aero retrieves when you take along a wing runner, but otherwise, a Pawnee is really not that difficult to fly... Seems like the extra weight of the second seat, controls, and instruments would be a waste most of the time.

Kirk
66
Happy Pawnee Pilot

[Eric Greenwell[_4_]]

On 10/29/2012 8:49 AM, Tony V wrote:
> On 10/29/2012 9:49 AM, Roel Baardman wrote:
>> Ideal for towing multiple gliders!
>
> Until your insurance company finds out.
>
> We used to ferry gliders to an encampment (about 100 nm) once or twice a
> year on double tows behind a Birddog. We'd fly one on a standard 200 ft
> rope and the other on a 300 ft rope - one in high to off to one side,
> the other in low tow on the other side. It worked very well. One of our
> members called the insurance company (Costello) to ask what they thought
> about it. The answer was something like "well, we'd probably settle a
> claim but we'd likely decline to renew your policy after the current
> expiration". YMMV.
>
> Tony "6N"

Williams Soaring in Williams, CA, does it routinely, so I'm assuming
insurance is available from someone.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)

[T[_2_]]

Mmm, take a wing runner, and then leave him behind?
Have to run real quick to catch a ride home while running wings. :)
T

[Ralph Jones[_3_]]

On Mon, 29 Oct 2012 16:24:01 -0700 (PDT), T > wrote:

>Mmm, take a wing runner, and then leave him behind?
>Have to run real quick to catch a ride home while running wings. :)
>T
Well, you could use it to reward the farmer with an airplane
ride...nice for checking out tug pilots too.

[kirk.stant]

On Monday, October 29, 2012 6:24:01 PM UTC-5, T wrote:
> Mmm, take a wing runner, and then leave him behind?
>
> Have to run real quick to catch a ride home while running wings. :)
>
> T

The nice thing about a towplane is you can go back and get the wingrunner...

Done it a few times when someone landed out close at a grass strip with high grass - quick tow to get the glider high enough to get home, then back to get the wingrunner.

But I wouldn't mod a Pawnee for it! That's what our Super Cub is for.

Kirk
SLSA