Do tip wheels *have* to be droppable? My LAK-17a has what amounts to roller
blade wheels in an aerodynamic fairing glued to the underside of the wing at
the tip. It also makes moving the glider around on the grid easier since
you don't need someone to hold a wing.

I can't imagine these wheels generate too much drag, but then, I don't fly
in contests...


wrote in message
...
On Sunday, July 14, 2013 10:25:58 PM UTC-5, wrote:
I have been flying an SZD-55 since 2001.

... The wing drop/drag problem has happened with me only when loaded with
ballast water and with the wind calm or possibly a slight tail component.
Yes I know the preferred direction for take off is into wind! However when
positioned in a grid of other glider for an event on a hot calm day and
thermal comes along just as the tug takes up slcak in front of you the
pucker factor escalates.

True on many gliders. Contests will usually keep the grid in place until the
tail wind is pretty substantial.

It doesn't help that most contests have helpful but not very experienced
volunteers running wings. Get them level, get them balanced, the upwind wing
must be a little low, and run like heck. And thanks for being here, but
let's do it right.

Now to the point. It would be lovely if some of you mechanical gurus out
there could develop a droppable wing wheel. I have in mind a cuff around the
leading edge, a stick and a wheel below, which keeps the wings level to
about 20 mph and then automatically falls off. Or maybe a waggle of the
ailerons causes it to fall off. Yes, ground crew then has to run out and
pick them up. But it's a small price to pay for an end to wing drops, ground
loops, and the worse things that happen on winch tows.

John Cochrane