On Mar 24, 2:17*pm, Chip Bearden wrote:
On Mar 23, 6:39*pm, Tom Nau wrote:

I am considering purchasing a one-man rigging system. *Is there
consensus on the best system? *Which one do you like? *Thanks, Tom

I've built a number of one-man rigging devices in the past, including
the WingMate *(http://members.aol.com/wingstand/)which I sold for a
while (and intend to in the future when I have more time, as I've been
saying for the past 8 years I've had my current job!). I've used my
WingMate nearly 100% of the time since 1982 plus a few others just for
comparison. Some questions you should ask:

1. Is this for airport use only? Many systems work great on smooth
asphalt. Some work well on smooth grass. I wanted one that worked
almost anywhere. There are tradeoffs with any type (see next
comment).
2. Is this for convenience, time saving, or back saving? I was focused
on the first two; I can normally rig my glider as fast unassisted as
with a helper, but I must lift and carry the spar of the wing--and, in
a separate step, the wingtip--just like I would with said helper. The
wheels on my system are there only to assist in aligning the wingtip
fore and aft. Most one-man systems carry the bulk of the wing weight
in a solid wheeled carriage (good if your back is sore) but require
somewhat more time to set up and rig the glider.
3. Will the wingstand remain set up (in the trailer hangar or van) or
will you have to set it up/break it down each time? I needed something
that would stow quickly in the front of the trailer. One conventional
type I took in trade took nearly as long to assemble for use as the
glider did and was so heavy that I hurt my back lifting it (assembled)
into my van. But I sold it to a pilot who left it set up in the hangar
at his club and he was happy with it.
4. Is this for occasional use, or every time you fly? Rigging a glider
isn't idiot proof. Using a one-man rig is even less so and requires
practice and care. The potential for damage is higher for several
reasons, mostly related to exposure to the wind and not having a
helper in case something goes wrong or you do something stupid. I've
had a couple of close calls in high winds plus a few bone-headed
incidents caused by inattention (none serious) in hundreds of uses. If
you're only going to do this once in a great while, I'd advise against
it.
5. What type of trailer do you have? Cobras/Komets are easy to adapt.
Most others can be made to work with varying amounts of effort and
modification depending on the trailer and the wingstand.

The original rig by the maker of the Cobra trailer seemed to work well
but was heavy and had a number of loose pieces to assemble. I've heard
good things about the Udo system. The WingRigger looks like a nice
evolution of Udo's rig and perhaps similar to the lightweight Louis
Loader which impressed me years ago in CT but which, alas, is no
longer made.

I'll close by relating something that Karl Striedieck told me.
Although I use mine every time I fly and wouldn't leave home without
it, apparently they are sometimes referred to in Europe as "no
friends" wingstands. Hopefully you aren't interested in this for that
reason.

Chip Bearden
ASW 24 "JB"
USA

We use small wing-root dollies and a wing stand with roller on top
made from hardware store supplies. Very inexpensive (less then $50)
and simple to use. The best part is the wing stays very low when
wheeling it around into position (no tipping over). The root dolly is
hinged where the spar sits so we can transition the wings from
vertical to flat before lifting the tip to get it onto the roller
stand. The root stays on the dolly until it's time to insert the spar
into the fuselage. At that point, the wing is almost centered on the
roller stand, so the root end is pretty light to lift. The roller on
the stand allows me to easily "roll" the wing into the fuselage while
I guide the pins home. The only heavy lifting is the 3 or 4 seconds to
lift the root spar off the trailer dolly and onto the wheeled wing-
root dolly. It takes me about 15-20 minutes to get the wings rigged
using this setup. (I have an LS1f by the way)