View Full Version : Short field glider ops
Hi I was wondering if anyone had any good ideas on how to calculate
short field operations for takeoff on hot summer days.
2400 foot runway, with a supercub at 95 degrees for a single place
glider seems like it would work fine. Your pucker factor does get to
you as you cross the trees at 30-40 feet doing 55 knots.
Of course there's the obvious things that help such as:
-Freshly mowed runway
-1/4 tank of gas in the towplane
-Use a 150 foot rope
-Take off with 10 degrees of flaps on the towplane
-Don't leave any feet behind the glider when setting up at the
beginning of the runway.
If anyone has any other techniques that would help improve safety that
would be great.
Also, if anyone has calculations for this I would appreciate that
too. The POH for all aircraft have short field graphs where you can
use your weight, temp, wind and bada-bing you've got a definitive
answer for just how much runway you need. With a glider behind the
towplane, there aren't any numbers, that I have ever heard of. Unless
anyone here has some personal stories of using a supercub off a short
strip in the middle of summer???
Thanks,
Scott
Up the HP in the Super Cub? or get a bigger tow plane.
Only one person in the tow plane.
We operate with a 250HP Pawnee, from our "normal" staging area we have about
3000ft from glider to the departure end of the runway with a 200ft rope. We
normally cross the departure end at about 200ft AGL in the summer months
with the Density Altitude between 6000-7000ft. (40C-45C).
With full fuel the Pawnee is about 1300# below Max Gross Weight.
We have no take off data for the Pawnee other than experience.
BT
> wrote in message
...
> Hi I was wondering if anyone had any good ideas on how to calculate
> short field operations for takeoff on hot summer days.
>
> 2400 foot runway, with a supercub at 95 degrees for a single place
> glider seems like it would work fine. Your pucker factor does get to
> you as you cross the trees at 30-40 feet doing 55 knots.
>
> Of course there's the obvious things that help such as:
>
> -Freshly mowed runway
> -1/4 tank of gas in the towplane
> -Use a 150 foot rope
> -Take off with 10 degrees of flaps on the towplane
> -Don't leave any feet behind the glider when setting up at the
> beginning of the runway.
>
> If anyone has any other techniques that would help improve safety that
> would be great.
>
> Also, if anyone has calculations for this I would appreciate that
> too. The POH for all aircraft have short field graphs where you can
> use your weight, temp, wind and bada-bing you've got a definitive
> answer for just how much runway you need. With a glider behind the
> towplane, there aren't any numbers, that I have ever heard of. Unless
> anyone here has some personal stories of using a supercub off a short
> strip in the middle of summer???
>
> Thanks,
> Scott
On Jun 4, 7:04*pm, wrote:
> Hi I was wondering if anyone had any good ideas on how to calculate
> short field operations for takeoff on hot summer days.
>
> 2400 foot runway, with a supercub at 95 degrees for a single place
> glider seems like it would work fine. *Your pucker factor does get to
> you as you cross the trees at 30-40 feet doing 55 knots.
>
> Of course there's the obvious things that help such as:
>
> -Freshly mowed runway
> -1/4 tank of gas in the towplane
> -Use a 150 foot rope
> -Take off with 10 degrees of flaps on the towplane
> -Don't leave any feet behind the glider when setting up at the
> beginning of the runway.
>
> If anyone has any other techniques that would help improve safety that
> would be great.
>
> Also, if anyone has calculations for this I would appreciate that
> too. *The POH for all aircraft have short field graphs where you can
> use your weight, temp, wind and bada-bing you've got a definitive
> answer for just how much runway you need. *With a glider behind the
> towplane, there aren't any numbers, that I have ever heard of. *Unless
> anyone here has some personal stories of using a supercub off a short
> strip in the middle of summer???
>
> Thanks,
> Scott
Borer prop is big improvement in initial acceleration.
UH
On Jun 4, 8:43*pm, wrote:
> On Jun 4, 7:04*pm, wrote:
>
>
>
> > Hi I was wondering if anyone had any good ideas on how to calculate
> > short field operations for takeoff on hot summer days.
>
> > 2400 foot runway, with a supercub at 95 degrees for a single place
> > glider seems like it would work fine. *Your pucker factor does get to
> > you as you cross the trees at 30-40 feet doing 55 knots.
>
> > Of course there's the obvious things that help such as:
>
> > -Freshly mowed runway
> > -1/4 tank of gas in the towplane
> > -Use a 150 foot rope
> > -Take off with 10 degrees of flaps on the towplane
> > -Don't leave any feet behind the glider when setting up at the
> > beginning of the runway.
>
> > If anyone has any other techniques that would help improve safety that
> > would be great.
>
> > Also, if anyone has calculations for this I would appreciate that
> > too. *The POH for all aircraft have short field graphs where you can
> > use your weight, temp, wind and bada-bing you've got a definitive
> > answer for just how much runway you need. *With a glider behind the
> > towplane, there aren't any numbers, that I have ever heard of. *Unless
> > anyone here has some personal stories of using a supercub off a short
> > strip in the middle of summer???
>
> > Thanks,
> > Scott
>
> Borer prop is big improvement in initial acceleration.
> UH
Scott;
You have not mentioned the most important factor in the equation. What
is your density altitude??????
Paul
On Jun 4, 9:52*pm, wrote:
> On Jun 4, 8:43*pm, wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Jun 4, 7:04*pm, wrote:
>
> > > Hi I was wondering if anyone had any good ideas on how to calculate
> > > short field operations for takeoff on hot summer days.
>
> > > 2400 foot runway, with a supercub at 95 degrees for a single place
> > > glider seems like it would work fine. *Your pucker factor does get to
> > > you as you cross the trees at 30-40 feet doing 55 knots.
>
> > > Of course there's the obvious things that help such as:
>
> > > -Freshly mowed runway
> > > -1/4 tank of gas in the towplane
> > > -Use a 150 foot rope
> > > -Take off with 10 degrees of flaps on the towplane
> > > -Don't leave any feet behind the glider when setting up at the
> > > beginning of the runway.
>
> > > If anyone has any other techniques that would help improve safety that
> > > would be great.
>
> > > Also, if anyone has calculations for this I would appreciate that
> > > too. *The POH for all aircraft have short field graphs where you can
> > > use your weight, temp, wind and bada-bing you've got a definitive
> > > answer for just how much runway you need. *With a glider behind the
> > > towplane, there aren't any numbers, that I have ever heard of. *Unless
> > > anyone here has some personal stories of using a supercub off a short
> > > strip in the middle of summer???
>
> > > Thanks,
> > > Scott
>
> > Borer prop is big improvement in initial acceleration.
> > UH
>
> Scott;
>
> You have not mentioned the most important factor in the equation. What
> is your density altitude??????
>
> Paul- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Oh Sorry! With the temp at 95 degree's my density altitude (the other
day) was 2,662 feet,
What's the highest density altitude anyone here has taken off from
behind a supercub on a short grass runway?
On Jun 5, 8:10*am, wrote:
> On Jun 4, 9:52*pm, wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Jun 4, 8:43*pm, wrote:
>
> > > On Jun 4, 7:04*pm, wrote:
>
> > > > Hi I was wondering if anyone had any good ideas on how to calculate
> > > > short field operations for takeoff on hot summer days.
>
> > > > 2400 foot runway, with a supercub at 95 degrees for a single place
> > > > glider seems like it would work fine. *Your pucker factor does get to
> > > > you as you cross the trees at 30-40 feet doing 55 knots.
>
> > > > Of course there's the obvious things that help such as:
>
> > > > -Freshly mowed runway
> > > > -1/4 tank of gas in the towplane
> > > > -Use a 150 foot rope
> > > > -Take off with 10 degrees of flaps on the towplane
> > > > -Don't leave any feet behind the glider when setting up at the
> > > > beginning of the runway.
>
> > > > If anyone has any other techniques that would help improve safety that
> > > > would be great.
>
> > > > Also, if anyone has calculations for this I would appreciate that
> > > > too. *The POH for all aircraft have short field graphs where you can
> > > > use your weight, temp, wind and bada-bing you've got a definitive
> > > > answer for just how much runway you need. *With a glider behind the
> > > > towplane, there aren't any numbers, that I have ever heard of. *Unless
> > > > anyone here has some personal stories of using a supercub off a short
> > > > strip in the middle of summer???
>
> > > > Thanks,
> > > > Scott
>
> > > Borer prop is big improvement in initial acceleration.
> > > UH
>
> > Scott;
>
> > You have not mentioned the most important factor in the equation. What
> > is your density altitude??????
>
> > Paul- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> Oh Sorry! *With the temp at 95 degree's my density altitude (the other
> day) was 2,662 feet,
>
> What's the highest density altitude anyone here has taken off from
> behind a supercub on a short grass runway?- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
We've pulled 2-33's on 100 degree days at 500 MSL with 150 Cub(now
160) using 2000 ft. BUT no significant obstacles on exit end and
taking off in low tow.
FWIW
UH
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