Just another vote of confidence. My LAK-17a has been in the carousel for
almost a year and it's the handiest thing I've ever seen in hangarage. The
only thing more convenient would be tying my ship out at the launch line but
that ain't gonna happen.


"Mark Mocho" wrote in message
...
The caousel hangar at Moriarty is owned by Ned Godshall, not the
Albuquerque Soaring Club. The design is by jet sailplane designer and
airshow pilot Bob Carlton. It holds eight gliders, ranging from 20
meters to 13 meters. The carousel has been in continuous operation
since 1997 and apart from a few minor glitches, has been extremely
reliable. Recently we had an electrical relay failure that took a
couple of days to correct, but generally, it works very well. The only
damage any glider has ever suffered was from the users forgetting to
place the "bridge" from the glider track across the gap from the track
to the outside ramp, resulting to scrapes to the fuselage.

The drive rope is generally replaced every 3-4 years, but has not
failed in use. There are safety switches to prevent running the
carousel past the limits of the design limits. (The carousel does not
turn through a full 360 degrees due to the drive rope attachment
points. As a result, if the glider on track 1 has just pulled out and
yours is on track 8, the carousel has to be reversed through the full
range. Big deal- you have to hold the switch for about 2 1/2 minutes
while the carousel rotates to track 8.)

At one time, Bob and Ned tried to market plans, kits and full
installations, but few pilots and clubs expressed interest, as the
design was new and untested. Also, the decision to pursue a project
like this usually ends up with a committee, and there always seems to
be one Luddite who objects to anything mechanical and new.

The design offers a number of advantages including:

-One person can get his/her glider out or in without disturbing or
damaging any others. (NO hangar rash!)
-The square hangar is much more cost effective to construct than a
long skinny rectangle.
-You only need one door and one taxiway access point instead of full
length doors and access on two sides.

The only disadvantage I have seen is getting the users to operate it
properly. It is pretty foolproof, bu you know how that goes. The
biggest problem seems to be users leaving stuff on the floor that
interfere with the carousel rotation. The drive rope also tends to
stretch over time, necessitating a periodic adjustment of the
counterweight safety restraint cable.

Bob and Ned have moved on to other projects, but with the right
impetus, they might entertain the idea of resurrecting and updating
any plans to produce drawings and/or consultation. I have also
expressed interest in producing the components and offering
installation through my glider accessory manufacturing company
(www.mmfabrication.com). You can contact either me at the g mail
address or bob (at) desertaerospace (dot) com. With some interest, we
might add a link to some photos on one of our websites.