"Eric Greenwell" wrote in message
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k6%h.426$dj2.277@trndny02...
Bill Daniels wrote:
If the one-man rigging system used "gate hinge" type root dolleys on the
trailer, then the wings could be swung out ~45 degrees to the
trailer/fuselage before the Udo-type wing dolly was attached to the wing
CG. Then, the wheels of the wing dolly needn't roll more than 4-6 feet
when rigging/derigging. One could pack a sheet of plywood to lay on soft
ground for the wing dolly wheels to roll on. That way, even if you
landed in a soft plowed field, rigging aids would still work.
If it's a soft plowed field, would you be able to get a heavy 40 foot long
trailer to the glider? And get it out when it's even heavier with the
glider in it? It wouldn't work around here in eastern Washington state as
the vehicles would get stuck, and many farmers would not like the car and
trailer on their plowed field.
Is there any real difference between a 30 foot trailer and a 40 foot in this
situation? It's also worth pointing out that with the LAK's performance, it
shouldn't arise often.
Obviously, driving into a soft field is a bad idea that should be avoided if
possible but it's been done successfully. The LAK is heavier than, say, a
3-piece wing BG-12 or a Skylark 4, but I've helped get those out of plowed
fields. I recall some pilots carrying a 1000' spool of rope and a pulley
block to gently pull gliders to a gate where they could be derigged without
putting the trailer on the field.
The LAK WILL be more of a problem in retrieves but if you think about it you
can deal with it. The LAK is not as bad as my old Lark IS28b2 and I could
rig it solo..
Bill Daniels