How Many Ways to Launch?

[Les Ward]

I am interested in getting a sailplane and wondering what are the
various ways to launch. I am aware of the traditional methods.
Example= Steep downhill runway? Maybe I had too much coffee this morning!!
I live on Kauai and there are no Gliders on this Island at present.
Alo9ha, Les

[Eric Greenwell]

Les Ward wrote:
> I am interested in getting a sailplane and wondering what are the
> various ways to launch. I am aware of the traditional methods.
> Example= Steep downhill runway? Maybe I had too much coffee this morning!!

This method ("roll-off"?) is used by some pilots with the lighter weight
gliders. There is a neat video some where, but I don't have the URL.
It's most practical on a hill where you have some wind to help with the
launch and can slope soar afterwards. Check out the hang glider sites.

> I live on Kauai and there are no Gliders on this Island at present.
> Alo9ha, Les

You should also consider bungey launching, which would be practical with
a lightweight gliders like the SparrowHawk, Russia, and few others. This
is also best done from a slope soaring site, and doesn't need the
"runway" the roll-off technique needs.

If you stick with Kauai, your soaring possibilities seem quite limited,
so maybe a hang glider might be a better choice than a sailplane. If
traveling to the other islands is acceptable, Oahu and Hawaii offer much
more soaring, and have glider operations. Some pilots are working on a
club on Hawaii, so having a partner in a glider there would allow more
and better soaring, and some camaraderie.

--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

[BTIZ]

how many ways to launch other than running down hill... winch, auto tow,
aero tow, self launch (motor glider).. for where you are, the new Silent
self launch motor glider may be a good option.

(Silent is the "brand / model name", not that the engine is really that
quiet.)

BT

"Les Ward" > wrote in message
...
>I am interested in getting a sailplane and wondering what are the various
>ways to launch. I am aware of the traditional methods.
> Example= Steep downhill runway? Maybe I had too much coffee this morning!!
> I live on Kauai and there are no Gliders on this Island at present.
> Alo9ha, Les

[Les Ward]

Thanks Eric,
I have flown on the other islands, gliders as well as power (sel).
mostly at the North shore Oahu. Will look into some of your suggestions.
Mahalo

Eric Greenwell wrote:
> Les Ward wrote:
>
>> I am interested in getting a sailplane and wondering what are the
>> various ways to launch. I am aware of the traditional methods.
>> Example= Steep downhill runway? Maybe I had too much coffee this
>> morning!!
>
>
> This method ("roll-off"?) is used by some pilots with the lighter weight
> gliders. There is a neat video some where, but I don't have the URL.
> It's most practical on a hill where you have some wind to help with the
> launch and can slope soar afterwards. Check out the hang glider sites.
>
>> I live on Kauai and there are no Gliders on this Island at present.
>> Alo9ha, Les
>
>
> You should also consider bungey launching, which would be practical with
> a lightweight gliders like the SparrowHawk, Russia, and few others. This
> is also best done from a slope soaring site, and doesn't need the
> "runway" the roll-off technique needs.
>
> If you stick with Kauai, your soaring possibilities seem quite limited,
> so maybe a hang glider might be a better choice than a sailplane. If
> traveling to the other islands is acceptable, Oahu and Hawaii offer much
> more soaring, and have glider operations. Some pilots are working on a
> club on Hawaii, so having a partner in a glider there would allow more
> and better soaring, and some camaraderie.
>

[Bob K.]

There must be fifty ways...

Bob "step off the hill, Bill" K.

[Vorsanger1]

"There must be fifty ways.." says Bob K.

OK, I'll bite: name 10 (listing different makes of tow vehicles or of tow
planes does not count)

Cheers, Charles

[OscarCVox]

>OK, I'll bite: name 10 (listing different makes of tow vehicles or of tow
>planes does not count)

Hmm I will try
Autotow
reverse pully auto tow
Winch
winch with winch retrieve
Bungey
Shoulder launch
aerotow
Horse tow ( I know it sounds daft but I believe that they used a horse and a
tow rope at Dunstable pre war)

Now i am stuck. Any others?

[Shawn]

OscarCVox wrote:
>>OK, I'll bite: name 10 (listing different makes of tow vehicles or of tow
>>planes does not count)
>
>
> Hmm I will try
> Autotow
> reverse pully auto tow
> Winch
> winch with winch retrieve
> Bungey
> Shoulder launch
> aerotow
> Horse tow ( I know it sounds daft but I believe that they used a horse and a
> tow rope at Dunstable pre war)
>
> Now i am stuck. Any others?
>

Balloon drop. Seen it for hang gliders
Helicopter drop (tail first-done in airshows)
Rocket launch
Aircraft drop-like Space Ship 1, X-n
Pay-out winch
Catapult? (How much altitude could you get off the deck of a carrier?)

[Tim Ward]

"OscarCVox" > wrote in message
...
> >OK, I'll bite: name 10 (listing different makes of tow vehicles or of tow
> >planes does not count)
>
> Hmm I will try
> Autotow
> reverse pully auto tow
> Winch
> winch with winch retrieve
> Bungey
> Shoulder launch
> aerotow
> Horse tow ( I know it sounds daft but I believe that they used a horse and
a
> tow rope at Dunstable pre war)
>
> Now i am stuck. Any others?
>
Balloon drop. Not used much for sailplanes, but reasonably common for hang
gliders a number of years ago.
Also proposed as a launch method for a high-altitude atmosphere sampling
project using something that looked an awful lot like a sailplane.

Tim Ward

[Andy Blackburn]

At 17:00 26 December 2004, Shawn wrote:
>OscarCVox wrote:
>>>OK, I'll bite: name 10 (listing different makes of
>>>tow vehicles or of tow
>>>planes does not count)
>>
>>
>> Hmm I will try
>> Autotow
>> reverse pully auto tow
>> Winch
>> winch with winch retrieve
>> Bungey
>> Shoulder launch
>> aerotow
>> Horse tow ( I know it sounds daft but I believe that
>>they used a horse and a
>> tow rope at Dunstable pre war)
>>
>> Now i am stuck. Any others?
>>
>
>Balloon drop. Seen it for hang gliders
>Helicopter drop (tail first-done in airshows)
>Rocket launch
>Aircraft drop-like Space Ship 1, X-n
>Pay-out winch
>Catapult? (How much altitude could you get off the
>deck of a carrier?)
>

Not sure what a shoulder launch is - with my ship it
would be tough on the old rotator cuff. I think a
Navy cat would likely rip the whole tow hook mechanism
right out of the fuselage.

How about:
Hillside launch (rolling - only good for smaller/lighter
ships)
Bungee launch (requires being on a hill)
Self-launch (Eric's favorite)
Foot launch (for ultralights)
Kite launch (needs a lot of wind and some form of mental
defect on the part of all concerned)
Tornado launch (typical in central and southern US
- always with bad results)

reductio ad absurdum...

9B

[goneill]

> Hillside launch (rolling - only good for smaller/lighter
> ships)
I have seen a video clip of a jantar 2 rolling off a hill
somewhere in Poland I think, so as long as the hill has the
right shape a rolling launch can launch just about any
glider
gary


"Andy Blackburn" > wrote in message
...
> At 17:00 26 December 2004, Shawn wrote:
>>OscarCVox wrote:
>>>>OK, I'll bite: name 10 (listing different makes of
>>>>tow vehicles or of tow
>>>>planes does not count)
>>>
>>>
>>> Hmm I will try
>>> Autotow
>>> reverse pully auto tow
>>> Winch
>>> winch with winch retrieve
>>> Bungey
>>> Shoulder launch
>>> aerotow
>>> Horse tow ( I know it sounds daft but I believe that
>>>they used a horse and a
>>> tow rope at Dunstable pre war)
>>>
>>> Now i am stuck. Any others?
>>>
>>
>>Balloon drop. Seen it for hang gliders
>>Helicopter drop (tail first-done in airshows)
>>Rocket launch
>>Aircraft drop-like Space Ship 1, X-n
>>Pay-out winch
>>Catapult? (How much altitude could you get off the
>>deck of a carrier?)
>>
>
> Not sure what a shoulder launch is - with my ship it
> would be tough on the old rotator cuff. I think a
> Navy cat would likely rip the whole tow hook mechanism
> right out of the fuselage.
>
> How about:
> Hillside launch (rolling - only good for smaller/lighter
> ships)
> Bungee launch (requires being on a hill)
> Self-launch (Eric's favorite)
> Foot launch (for ultralights)
> Kite launch (needs a lot of wind and some form of mental
> defect on the part of all concerned)
> Tornado launch (typical in central and southern US
> - always with bad results)
>
> reductio ad absurdum...
>
> 9B
>
>
>

[Nyal Williams]

Incredibly, no one said aerotow; the initial poster
forbade different makes of tow planes but not aerotow.


To this I would add the snatched aero-tow used by C-47s
in WWII to pick up troop-carrying gliders.


At 20:00 26 December 2004, Goneill wrote:
>> Hillside launch (rolling - only good for smaller/lighter
>> ships)
>I have seen a video clip of a jantar 2 rolling off
>a hill
>somewhere in Poland I think, so as long as the hill
>has the
>right shape a rolling launch can launch just about
>any
>glider
>gary
>
>
>'Andy Blackburn' wrote in message
...
>> At 17:00 26 December 2004, Shawn wrote:
>>>OscarCVox wrote:
>>>>>OK, I'll bite: name 10 (listing different makes of
>>>>>tow vehicles or of tow
>>>>>planes does not count)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Hmm I will try
>>>> Autotow
>>>> reverse pully auto tow
>>>> Winch
>>>> winch with winch retrieve
>>>> Bungey
>>>> Shoulder launch
>>>> aerotow
>>>> Horse tow ( I know it sounds daft but I believe that
>>>>they used a horse and a
>>>> tow rope at Dunstable pre war)
>>>>
>>>> Now i am stuck. Any others?
>>>>
>>>
>>>Balloon drop. Seen it for hang gliders
>>>Helicopter drop (tail first-done in airshows)
>>>Rocket launch
>>>Aircraft drop-like Space Ship 1, X-n
>>>Pay-out winch
>>>Catapult? (How much altitude could you get off the
>>>deck of a carrier?)
>>>
>>
>> Not sure what a shoulder launch is - with my ship
>>it
>> would be tough on the old rotator cuff. I think a
>> Navy cat would likely rip the whole tow hook mechanism
>> right out of the fuselage.
>>
>> How about:
>> Hillside launch (rolling - only good for smaller/lighter
>> ships)
>> Bungee launch (requires being on a hill)
>> Self-launch (Eric's favorite)
>> Foot launch (for ultralights)
>> Kite launch (needs a lot of wind and some form of
>>mental
>> defect on the part of all concerned)
>> Tornado launch (typical in central and southern US
>> - always with bad results)
>>
>> reductio ad absurdum...
>>
>> 9B
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>

[Steve Bralla]

In article >, Nyal Williams
> writes:

>>> At 17:00 26 December 2004, Shawn wrote:
>>>>OscarCVox wrote:
>>>>>>OK, I'll bite: name 10 (listing different makes of
>>>>>>tow vehicles or of tow
>>>>>>planes does not count)
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Hmm I will try
1)>>>>> Autotow
2)>>>>> reverse pully auto tow
3)>>>>> Winch
3a)>>>>> winch with winch retrieve
4)>>>>> Bungey
5)>>>>> Shoulder launch
6)>>>>> aerotow
7)>>>> Horse tow ( I know it sounds daft but I believe that
>>>>>they used a horse and a
>>>>> tow rope at Dunstable pre war)
>>>>>
>>>>> Now i am stuck. Any others?
>>>>>
>>>>
8)>>>>Balloon drop. Seen it for hang gliders
9)>>>>Helicopter drop (tail first-done in airshows)
10)>>>>Rocket launch
11)>>>>Aircraft drop-like Space Ship 1, X-n
12)>>>>Pay-out winch
13)>>>>Catapult? (How much altitude could you get off the
>>>>deck of a carrier?)
>>> How about:
14)>>> Hillside launch (rolling - only good for smaller/lighter
>>> ships)
4)>>> Bungee launch (requires being on a hill)
15)>>> Self-launch (Eric's favorite)
16)>>> Foot launch (for ultralights)
17)>>> Kite launch (needs a lot of wind and some form of
>>>mental
>>> defect on the part of all concerned)
18?)>>> Tornado launch (typical in central and southern US
>>> - always with bad results)
>>>
and I'll add
19) Airship tow
20) Airship drop
21) Greased Board
We might get to 50!

Steve
Only 3 of the 21so far for me.

[Andy Blackburn]

I believe the Wright brothers used a falling weight
tied to a pulley system -- 22




At 04:00 27 December 2004, Steve Bralla wrote:
>In article , Nyal Williams
> writes:
>
>>>> At 17:00 26 December 2004, Shawn wrote:
>>>>>OscarCVox wrote:
>>>>>>>OK, I'll bite: name 10 (listing different makes
>>>>>>of
>>>>>>>tow vehicles or of tow
>>>>>>>planes does not count)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hmm I will try
>1)>>>>> Autotow
>2)>>>>> reverse pully auto tow
>3)>>>>> Winch
>3a)>>>>> winch with winch retrieve
>4)>>>>> Bungey
>5)>>>>> Shoulder launch
>6)>>>>> aerotow
>7)>>>> Horse tow ( I know it sounds daft but I believe
>>>>>that
>>>>>>they used a horse and a
>>>>>> tow rope at Dunstable pre war)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Now i am stuck. Any others?
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>8)>>>>Balloon drop. Seen it for hang gliders
>9)>>>>Helicopter drop (tail first-done in airshows)
>10)>>>>Rocket launch
>11)>>>>Aircraft drop-like Space Ship 1, X-n
>12)>>>>Pay-out winch
>13)>>>>Catapult? (How much altitude could you get off the
>>>>>deck of a carrier?)
>>>> How about:
>14)>>> Hillside launch (rolling - only good for smaller/lighter
>>>> ships)
>4)>>> Bungee launch (requires being on a hill)
>15)>>> Self-launch (Eric's favorite)
>16)>>> Foot launch (for ultralights)
>17)>>> Kite launch (needs a lot of wind and some form
>>>>of
>>>>mental
>>>> defect on the part of all concerned)
>18?)>>> Tornado launch (typical in central and southern
>>>>US
>>>> - always with bad results)
>>>>
>and I'll add
>19) Airship tow
>20) Airship drop
>21) Greased Board
>We might get to 50!
>
>Steve
>Only 3 of the 21so far for me.
>

[soarski]

There was a commercial glider operation on that Island once. On the
strip that is near Lihui on the southern tip. I flew both the Pawnees
and the 2-32s taking turns. We were too far away from any ridge and
the job was boring, we would tow a mile up above the low clouds that do
not have lift and glide down slowly sightseeing.

My suggestions are: first learn the sport well. Then you may look at
the whole thing differently.
If I would live on the Islands I might not do the sport there. A self
Launching sailplane would work that you might fly off any airport and
reach distant ridges or wave. There was a Stemme stationed at Kahuluhi
for a little while. The owner was starting up another com Operattion
and since I wanted to see the islands from above once, I bought a one
hr ride or a little longer. We climbed up
to the top of Haleakela. I think It was 11500ft. I thought, with this
altitude and the performance of the ship we could reach the big Island.
so we turned off the engine and made a long glide there.
It was quite erie to sit high over the Pacific flying off that
altitude. On the big island we turned on the engine climbed up to
Observatory turned the engine off again at about 14000ft and made a
final glide across part of the big island, the sea and half of Maui
back to Kahului. During that whole flight there was never any lift! I
think the Islands have other sports that makes them great!
Soarski

[BTIZ]

as many different ways people come up with.. they still fall into the 3
basic categories:
tow, ground, self

there was a video on a European web page.. of a glider bring dropped from
balloon.. it was one of the newer micro light ones.. I think..

BT

"Les Ward" > wrote in message
...
>I am interested in getting a sailplane and wondering what are the various
>ways to launch. I am aware of the traditional methods.
> Example= Steep downhill runway? Maybe I had too much coffee this morning!!
> I live on Kauai and there are no Gliders on this Island at present.
> Alo9ha, Les

[Vorsanger1]

Actually, when I first posted and asked about naming 10 ways to launch, I was
hoping to get some *practical* methods applicable to sailplanes. The proposed
solutions so far remind me of the old joke for the definition of a consultant:
a fellow who knows 37 positions for sex, but does not have a girlfriend of his
own.

Cheers, Charles

[Mark James Boyd]

Rocket launch (aka White Knight)
Bicycle power "Gossamer Albatross across English Channel, right?"

In article >,
Steve Bralla > wrote:
>In article >, Nyal Williams
> writes:
>
>>>> At 17:00 26 December 2004, Shawn wrote:
>>>>>OscarCVox wrote:
>>>>>>>OK, I'll bite: name 10 (listing different makes of
>>>>>>>tow vehicles or of tow
>>>>>>>planes does not count)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hmm I will try
>1)>>>>> Autotow
>2)>>>>> reverse pully auto tow
>3)>>>>> Winch
>3a)>>>>> winch with winch retrieve
>4)>>>>> Bungey
>5)>>>>> Shoulder launch
>6)>>>>> aerotow
>7)>>>> Horse tow ( I know it sounds daft but I believe that
>>>>>>they used a horse and a
>>>>>> tow rope at Dunstable pre war)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Now i am stuck. Any others?
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>8)>>>>Balloon drop. Seen it for hang gliders
>9)>>>>Helicopter drop (tail first-done in airshows)
>10)>>>>Rocket launch
>11)>>>>Aircraft drop-like Space Ship 1, X-n
>12)>>>>Pay-out winch
>13)>>>>Catapult? (How much altitude could you get off the
>>>>>deck of a carrier?)
>>>> How about:
>14)>>> Hillside launch (rolling - only good for smaller/lighter
>>>> ships)
>4)>>> Bungee launch (requires being on a hill)
>15)>>> Self-launch (Eric's favorite)
>16)>>> Foot launch (for ultralights)
>17)>>> Kite launch (needs a lot of wind and some form of
>>>>mental
>>>> defect on the part of all concerned)
>18?)>>> Tornado launch (typical in central and southern US
>>>> - always with bad results)
>>>>
>and I'll add
>19) Airship tow
>20) Airship drop
>21) Greased Board
>We might get to 50!
>
>Steve
>Only 3 of the 21so far for me.


--

------------+
Mark J. Boyd

[Chris Rollings]

I think the horse at Dunstable was only used to pull
gliders to the top of the (300 feet or so) hill, where
they were bungee launched.

At 21:00 26 December 2004, Nyal Williams wrote:
>Incredibly, no one said aerotow; the initial poster
>forbade different makes of tow planes but not aerotow.
>
>
>To this I would add the snatched aero-tow used by C-47s
>in WWII to pick up troop-carrying gliders.
>
>
>At 20:00 26 December 2004, Goneill wrote:
>>> Hillside launch (rolling - only good for smaller/lighter
>>> ships)
>>I have seen a video clip of a jantar 2 rolling off
>>a hill
>>somewhere in Poland I think, so as long as the hill
>>has the
>>right shape a rolling launch can launch just about
>>any
>>glider
>>gary
>>
>>
>>'Andy Blackburn' wrote in message
...
>>> At 17:00 26 December 2004, Shawn wrote:
>>>>OscarCVox wrote:
>>>>>>OK, I'll bite: name 10 (listing different makes
>>>>>>of
>>>>>>tow vehicles or of tow
>>>>>>planes does not count)
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Hmm I will try
>>>>> Autotow
>>>>> reverse pully auto tow
>>>>> Winch
>>>>> winch with winch retrieve
>>>>> Bungey
>>>>> Shoulder launch
>>>>> aerotow
>>>>> Horse tow ( I know it sounds daft but I believe that
>>>>>they used a horse and a
>>>>> tow rope at Dunstable pre war)
>>>>>
>>>>> Now i am stuck. Any others?
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Balloon drop. Seen it for hang gliders
>>>>Helicopter drop (tail first-done in airshows)
>>>>Rocket launch
>>>>Aircraft drop-like Space Ship 1, X-n
>>>>Pay-out winch
>>>>Catapult? (How much altitude could you get off the
>>>>deck of a carrier?)
>>>>
>>>
>>> Not sure what a shoulder launch is - with my ship
>>>it
>>> would be tough on the old rotator cuff. I think a
>>> Navy cat would likely rip the whole tow hook mechanism
>>> right out of the fuselage.
>>>
>>> How about:
>>> Hillside launch (rolling - only good for smaller/lighter
>>> ships)
>>> Bungee launch (requires being on a hill)
>>> Self-launch (Eric's favorite)
>>> Foot launch (for ultralights)
>>> Kite launch (needs a lot of wind and some form of
>>>mental
>>> defect on the part of all concerned)
>>> Tornado launch (typical in central and southern US
>>> - always with bad results)
>>>
>>> reductio ad absurdum...
>>>
>>> 9B
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>

[Mike Lindsay]

In article >, Shawn <sdotherecurry@br
esnananotherdotnet.?> writes
>OscarCVox wrote:
>>>OK, I'll bite: name 10 (listing different makes of tow vehicles or of tow
>>>planes does not count)
>>
>>
>> Hmm I will try
>> Autotow
>> reverse pully auto tow
>> Winch
>> winch with winch retrieve
>> Bungey
>> Shoulder launch
>> aerotow
>> Horse tow ( I know it sounds daft but I believe that they used a horse and a
>> tow rope at Dunstable pre war)
>>
>> Now i am stuck. Any others?
>>
>
>Balloon drop. Seen it for hang gliders
>Helicopter drop (tail first-done in airshows)
>Rocket launch
>Aircraft drop-like Space Ship 1, X-n
>Pay-out winch
>Catapult? (How much altitude could you get off the deck of a carrier?)

Gravity rope launch. AFAIK this has never been tried.

You need a disused mine shaft at one end of the runway, you set up a
great big pulley over it. You run a cable from the other end of the
runway, over the pulley and attach it to a weight.

Yo let the weight go and as it falls it pulls the glider into the air.
Then you heave the weight up again.

There is a club in the west of England that has several disused tin
mines nearby. Hmm.

--
Mike Lindsay

[Paul Adriance]

Speaking of launches, any luck looking into those tow rings, Gary?

Paul


"goneill" > wrote in message
...
> > Hillside launch (rolling - only good for smaller/lighter
> > ships)
> I have seen a video clip of a jantar 2 rolling off a hill
> somewhere in Poland I think, so as long as the hill has the
> right shape a rolling launch can launch just about any
> glider
> gary
>
>
> "Andy Blackburn" > wrote in message
> ...
> > At 17:00 26 December 2004, Shawn wrote:
> >>OscarCVox wrote:
> >>>>OK, I'll bite: name 10 (listing different makes of
> >>>>tow vehicles or of tow
> >>>>planes does not count)
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Hmm I will try
> >>> Autotow
> >>> reverse pully auto tow
> >>> Winch
> >>> winch with winch retrieve
> >>> Bungey
> >>> Shoulder launch
> >>> aerotow
> >>> Horse tow ( I know it sounds daft but I believe that
> >>>they used a horse and a
> >>> tow rope at Dunstable pre war)
> >>>
> >>> Now i am stuck. Any others?
> >>>
> >>
> >>Balloon drop. Seen it for hang gliders
> >>Helicopter drop (tail first-done in airshows)
> >>Rocket launch
> >>Aircraft drop-like Space Ship 1, X-n
> >>Pay-out winch
> >>Catapult? (How much altitude could you get off the
> >>deck of a carrier?)
> >>
> >
> > Not sure what a shoulder launch is - with my ship it
> > would be tough on the old rotator cuff. I think a
> > Navy cat would likely rip the whole tow hook mechanism
> > right out of the fuselage.
> >
> > How about:
> > Hillside launch (rolling - only good for smaller/lighter
> > ships)
> > Bungee launch (requires being on a hill)
> > Self-launch (Eric's favorite)
> > Foot launch (for ultralights)
> > Kite launch (needs a lot of wind and some form of mental
> > defect on the part of all concerned)
> > Tornado launch (typical in central and southern US
> > - always with bad results)
> >
> > reductio ad absurdum...
> >
> > 9B
> >
> >
> >
>
>

[Bruce]

OscarCVox wrote:
>>OK, I'll bite: name 10 (listing different makes of tow vehicles or of tow
>>planes does not count)
>
>
> Hmm I will try
> Autotow
> reverse pully auto tow
> Winch
> winch with winch retrieve
> Bungey
> Shoulder launch
> aerotow
> Horse tow ( I know it sounds daft but I believe that they used a horse and a
> tow rope at Dunstable pre war)
>
> Now i am stuck. Any others?
>
Me162 was rocket launched glider. (So are Starship one and the Space Shuttles)
Kiting with no ground run - (know of one inadvertent launch this way.)
Self launch with internal combustion (piston reciprocating and turbine)

[Chris Rollings]

Aircraft Carrier Tow - just remembered, honest, I've
seen the photo's.

At 09:00 27 December 2004, Mike Lindsay wrote:
>In article , Shawn writes
>>OscarCVox wrote:
>>>>OK, I'll bite: name 10 (listing different makes of
>>>>tow vehicles or of tow
>>>>planes does not count)
>>>
>>>
>>> Hmm I will try
>>> Autotow
>>> reverse pully auto tow
>>> Winch
>>> winch with winch retrieve
>>> Bungey
>>> Shoulder launch
>>> aerotow
>>> Horse tow ( I know it sounds daft but I believe that
>>>they used a horse and a
>>> tow rope at Dunstable pre war)
>>>
>>> Now i am stuck. Any others?
>>>
>>
>>Balloon drop. Seen it for hang gliders
>>Helicopter drop (tail first-done in airshows)
>>Rocket launch
>>Aircraft drop-like Space Ship 1, X-n
>>Pay-out winch
>>Catapult? (How much altitude could you get off the
>>deck of a carrier?)
>
>Gravity rope launch. AFAIK this has never been tried.
>
>You need a disused mine shaft at one end of the runway,
>you set up a
>great big pulley over it. You run a cable from the
>other end of the
>runway, over the pulley and attach it to a weight.
>
>Yo let the weight go and as it falls it pulls the glider
>into the air.
>Then you heave the weight up again.
>
>There is a club in the west of England that has several
>disused tin
>mines nearby. Hmm.
>
>--
>Mike Lindsay
>

[Richard Brisbourne]

Shawn wrote:

> OscarCVox wrote:
>>>OK, I'll bite: name 10 (listing different makes of tow vehicles or of tow
>>>planes does not count)
>>
>>
>> Hmm I will try
>> Autotow
>> reverse pully auto tow
>> Winch
>> winch with winch retrieve
>> Bungey
>> Shoulder launch
>> aerotow
>> Horse tow ( I know it sounds daft but I believe that they used a horse
>> and a tow rope at Dunstable pre war)
>>
>> Now i am stuck. Any others?
>>
>
> Balloon drop. Seen it for hang gliders
> Helicopter drop (tail first-done in airshows)
> Rocket launch
> Aircraft drop-like Space Ship 1, X-n
> Pay-out winch
> Catapult? (How much altitude could you get off the deck of a carrier?)

There was an article in S & G some years ago concerning some experiments
done by the Fleet Air Arm just after WWII looking at airflows around
aircraft carriers. IIRC they used a Slingsby Tutor modified with chord
extensions to give an extremely low stalling speed: this was tethered, with
pilot in, and became airborne easily behind a ship steaming into wind.

Not sure if this counts.

[Richard Brisbourne]

Chris Rollings wrote:

> I think the horse at Dunstable was only used to pull
> gliders to the top of the (300 feet or so) hill, where
> they were bungee launched.
>

The version I heard may be a bit harder to substantiate but is rather more
colourful.

Apparently the horse was used to provide the power to extend the bungee.

The system apparently worked well until the occasion when the bungee broke
while under almost full tension.

The horse immediately went into a full gallop towards the horizon and was
never seen again.

[Tim Ward]

"Andy Blackburn" > wrote in message
...
> I believe the Wright brothers used a falling weight
> tied to a pulley system -- 22
>

Also the proposed launch system for the "Colditz Cock" -- bathtub down a
chimney launch.

Tim Ward

[F.L. Whiteley]

"Shawn" <sdotherecurry@bresnananotherdotnet> wrote in message
...
> OscarCVox wrote:
> >>OK, I'll bite: name 10 (listing different makes of tow vehicles or of
tow
> >>planes does not count)
> >
> >
> > Hmm I will try
> > Autotow
> > reverse pully auto tow
> > Winch
> > winch with winch retrieve
> > Bungey
> > Shoulder launch
> > aerotow
> > Horse tow ( I know it sounds daft but I believe that they used a horse
and a
> > tow rope at Dunstable pre war)
> >
> > Now i am stuck. Any others?
> >
>
> Balloon drop. Seen it for hang gliders
> Helicopter drop (tail first-done in airshows)
> Rocket launch
> Aircraft drop-like Space Ship 1, X-n
> Pay-out winch
> Catapult? (How much altitude could you get off the deck of a carrier?)

Helicopter tow has also been done (without the drop bit).

Crane drops have been done a couple of times, but the gliders weren't rigged
so the resulting flight was short and pilotless. At least one resulted in a
water landing. I seem to recall another pitched off the top of the
containers in a 'storm launch'.;^)

I seem to recall pictures of horse tows of Primary gliders from a book I've
thumbed through. One of John Campbell's IIRC.

Here's one unsuccessful hybrid horse/bungee attempt
http://www.aerofiles.com/memories.html
There's are accounts of horse tows of the Baby Albatross here
http://www.twitt.org/MitchellHistory.html

Frank Whiteley

[Shawn]

Vorsanger1 wrote:
> Actually, when I first posted and asked about naming 10 ways to launch, I was
> hoping to get some *practical* methods applicable to sailplanes. The proposed
> solutions so far remind me of the old joke for the definition of a consultant:
> a fellow who knows 37 positions for sex, but does not have a girlfriend of his
> own.
>
> Cheers, Charles

Aw Charles that's cruel.
(Still no towplane in Salida, but two prospects-at the moment.)

Shawn

[Nyal Williams]

At 14:30 27 December 2004, Richard Brisbourne wrote:
>Chris Rollings wrote:
>
>> I think the horse at Dunstable was only used to pull
>> gliders to the top of the (300 feet or so) hill, where
>> they were bungee launched.
>>
>
>The version I heard may be a bit harder to substantiate
>but is rather more
>colourful.
>
>Apparently the horse was used to provide the power
>to extend the bungee.
>
>The system apparently worked well until the occasion
>when the bungee broke
>while under almost full tension.
>
>The horse immediately went into a full gallop towards
>the horizon and was
>never seen again.
>
You wouldn't be, either, if the bungee broke at the
glider end and it whacked your butt!

[For Example John Smith]

that was a Paul Simon reference
"Vorsanger1" > wrote in message
...
> "There must be fifty ways.." says Bob K.
>
> OK, I'll bite: name 10 (listing different makes of tow vehicles or of tow
> planes does not count)
>
> Cheers, Charles

[Tony Burton]

Snowmobile.

Back in the early 70s, The Gatineau Gliding Club of Ottawa (Canada) made
a winter sale of one of their 2-22s. Trouble was their hangar was on the
far side of the well-snowed-in airfield.

We got the glider out on the windswept ramp, a trailer on the perimeter
road across the field about 1/2 mile away, hooked the 2-22 to a
snowmobile with a towrope, and let'er rip.

The snowmobile had just enough speed and power to get the glider into
the air in ground effect and heading for the roadside fenceline. My
problem was timing the release - too soon and it would be down in the
deep snow too far from the fence. I don't recall how close I came but I
remember the derigging as not being a problem.

I logged myself a 1 minute flight.

[Robert Ehrlich]

Chris Rollings wrote:
>
> I think the horse at Dunstable was only used to pull
> gliders to the top of the (300 feet or so) hill, where
> they were bungee launched.
>

Anyway a horse tow was used for what is probably one of the
first flights in gliding history, in the middle of the 19th
a glider designed, built and flown by a french navy officer
named Le Bris was launched in this way. The story says that
the tow rope then catched the horse rider who made in this way
a short unplanned flight. This was probably the first dual
flight in aviation history.

[Roger Worden]

Maybe not for a true glider, but the Wright brothers used it to help launch
their flyer. Maybe they used it for gliders before motorizing??

> Gravity rope launch. AFAIK this has never been tried.