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Old August 17th 18, 02:08 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
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Default Perlan High Altitude Tow Plane

Maybe it was something I ate, but I had a strange thought last night on towing really high.

What if you put a cg tow position on the tow plane and payed out cable from the tow plane winch launch style?

3/16 spectra is 100feet per pound, or 500 pounds for 50k feet. This weight would sometimes be carried by the tow plane's wings and sometimes by the glider's. The line on the tow reel would never be under tension, so you would not need an impossibly strong reel.

Logistics would be interesting to say the least, perhaps:

Launch like a normal aerotow with a tail connection point on the tow and a cg hook on the glider. Use 200 feet of tow rope.

Climb normally to something safer like at least 10kfeet. Perhaps to the tow plane's limit.

Transition the front end of the rope from tow plane tail to tow plane upper CG. Certainly use windows in the bottom of the glider and some computer help. Fouling the tail on the tow is a concern. Perhaps position the glider high and to the side or use a vtail. Definitely a trickey maneuver.

Pay out the other 49,800 feet of tow rope as the glider climbs.

Release both ends and pick up the rope in the ocean.


Definitely something I ate, but fun to think about.