On Dec 22, 9:13*pm, Fred wrote:
Steve:

We have a reel in our towplane, but it is driven by a rubber band and
certainly doesn't have enough power to act as a winch. *In fact I have
to keep the airspeed below 80 Kts when I reel in the line or it stops
retracting. *And speaking of Spectra, I'm told it requires extra
strong drums on winches because it has enough stretch that it builds
up tension on the drum, kind of like wrapping a stretched rubber band
around your finger -- the tension could eventually crush the drum of
many winches. *Fred

Spectra (and other UHMWPE ropes) don't stretch at all. They are fluid
like when winding on a drum and under tension the crushing force is
cumulative since there is no elasticity, there is no relief either.
Not at all like a rubber band.

1/8" Amsteel Blue has a breaking strength of 2500lbs. 7/64" is
1600lbs. You can get a lot on a reel, but I think you'd still need a
bigger reel to set records.

Frank Whiteley