it's longer better? ( TE probe )

Hi all,

I've been checking recently different online shops to see what tail fin
mounted TE probe I can get. All manufacturers have probes in
more less two different lengths, 80-90 cm and 55 cm. And now I'm
wondering if it's worth spending around 30 Euro more to get the
longer one, what difference it makes, anyone can explain that to me
and maybe direct me to a shop in Europe that can supply reasonably
priced one?

regards

Piotr

On Wednesday, July 24, 2013 7:13:23 AM UTC-4, Piotr Jaszczuk wrote:
Hi all, I've been checking recently different online shops to see what tail fin mounted TE probe I can get. All manufacturers have probes in more less two different lengths, 80-90 cm and 55 cm. And now I'm wondering if it's worth spending around 30 Euro more to get the longer one, what difference it makes, anyone can explain that to me and maybe direct me to a shop in Europe that can supply reasonably priced one? regards Piotr

Getting the sensing point further away from the tail surfaces provides more reliable and consistent results. Simply turning the probe up instead of down also helps with the shed off of the wing roots.
Longer is usually better.
UH

....Not that it'll make *me* fly any farther or faster.

BTW, my probe is turned up.


wrote in message
...
On Wednesday, July 24, 2013 7:13:23 AM UTC-4, Piotr Jaszczuk wrote:
Hi all, I've been checking recently different online shops to see what
tail fin mounted TE probe I can get. All manufacturers have probes in more
less two different lengths, 80-90 cm and 55 cm. And now I'm wondering if
it's worth spending around 30 Euro more to get the longer one, what
difference it makes, anyone can explain that to me and maybe direct me to
a shop in Europe that can supply reasonably priced one? regards Piotr

Getting the sensing point further away from the tail surfaces provides more
reliable and consistent results. Simply turning the probe up instead of down
also helps with the shed off of the wing roots.
Longer is usually better.
UH

"Dan Marotta" wrote:
...Not that it'll make *me* fly any farther or faster.

BTW, my probe is turned up.


wrote in message
...
On Wednesday, July 24, 2013 7:13:23 AM UTC-4, Piotr Jaszczuk wrote:
Hi all, I've been checking recently different online shops to see what
tail fin mounted TE probe I can get. All manufacturers have probes in
more less two different lengths, 80-90 cm and 55 cm. And now I'm
wondering if it's worth spending around 30 Euro more to get the longer
one, what difference it makes, anyone can explain that to me and maybe
direct me to a shop in Europe that can supply reasonably priced one? regards Piotr

Getting the sensing point further away from the tail surfaces provides
more reliable and consistent results. Simply turning the probe up instead
of down also helps with the shed off of the wing roots.
Longer is usually better.
UH

You should ask Herb Killian about the merits of an upturned TE probe :-)

Pete

On Wednesday, July 24, 2013 1:38:31 PM UTC-5, vontresc wrote:
"Dan Marotta" wrote:

...Not that it'll make *me* fly any farther or faster.



BTW, my probe is turned up.





wrote in message

...

On Wednesday, July 24, 2013 7:13:23 AM UTC-4, Piotr Jaszczuk wrote:

Hi all, I've been checking recently different online shops to see what

tail fin mounted TE probe I can get. All manufacturers have probes in

more less two different lengths, 80-90 cm and 55 cm. And now I'm

wondering if it's worth spending around 30 Euro more to get the longer

one, what difference it makes, anyone can explain that to me and maybe

direct me to a shop in Europe that can supply reasonably priced one? regards Piotr



Getting the sensing point further away from the tail surfaces provides

more reliable and consistent results. Simply turning the probe up instead

of down also helps with the shed off of the wing roots.

Longer is usually better.

UH



You should ask Herb Killian about the merits of an upturned TE probe :-)



Pete

OK, here's the story: was flying from Ridge Soaring PA in my LS4 (over 20 years ago) and had nothing but a flimsy plastic bag when the time came and I had to go. After filling the bag up, I tied a knot and used the trash disposal chute that is part of the canopy. Immediately, the glider started with the stick shaker that I didn't even know I had. There was obviously something wrong at tail end. Slow or fast flight, the stick had a distinct movement. I called back that something was wrong with my glider and had a good group of people waiting for me when I landed. They pointed at my tail, laughing and back-slapping. When I got out I noticed my plastic bag hanging from the TE probe, nicely centered and still full of what I had put in.
Since then I firmly believe that in an infinite universe everything imaginable will happen somewhere, someplace. I could repeat that bag-toss for a million years and not get it to stick on the probe again!

Herb, J7

So, that's obviously one case for probe turned down. After all, turned up, there's a very real risk the contents of that bag might have flowed through the TE probe and into your pneumatic system. Imagine explaining that one to Will Scheumann when you sent it back for servicing! :-)



On Thursday, July 25, 2013 1:09:31 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Wednesday, July 24, 2013 1:38:31 PM UTC-5, vontresc wrote:

"Dan Marotta" wrote:



...Not that it'll make *me* fly any farther or faster.







BTW, my probe is turned up.











wrote in message



...



On Wednesday, July 24, 2013 7:13:23 AM UTC-4, Piotr Jaszczuk wrote:



Hi all, I've been checking recently different online shops to see what



tail fin mounted TE probe I can get. All manufacturers have probes in



more less two different lengths, 80-90 cm and 55 cm. And now I'm



wondering if it's worth spending around 30 Euro more to get the longer



one, what difference it makes, anyone can explain that to me and maybe



direct me to a shop in Europe that can supply reasonably priced one? regards Piotr







Getting the sensing point further away from the tail surfaces provides



more reliable and consistent results. Simply turning the probe up instead



of down also helps with the shed off of the wing roots.



Longer is usually better.



UH







You should ask Herb Killian about the merits of an upturned TE probe :-)







Pete



OK, here's the story: was flying from Ridge Soaring PA in my LS4 (over 20 years ago) and had nothing but a flimsy plastic bag when the time came and I had to go. After filling the bag up, I tied a knot and used the trash disposal chute that is part of the canopy. Immediately, the glider started with the stick shaker that I didn't even know I had. There was obviously something wrong at tail end. Slow or fast flight, the stick had a distinct movement. I called back that something was wrong with my glider and had a good group of people waiting for me when I landed. They pointed at my tail, laughing and back-slapping. When I got out I noticed my plastic bag hanging from the TE probe, nicely centered and still full of what I had put in..

Since then I firmly believe that in an infinite universe everything imaginable will happen somewhere, someplace. I could repeat that bag-toss for a million years and not get it to stick on the probe again!



Herb, J7

On Thursday, July 25, 2013 10:23:18 PM UTC+2, Papa3 wrote:
So, that's obviously one case for probe turned down.

Or, a good case for installing a proper pee-tube system - see TA's excellent article in Soaring Cafe about pimping his new ride!

I'm firmly in the "turned-up" camp; first, it puts the TE probe tip (where the slots are) more inline with the leading edge of the horizontal, and higher from the wing wake, and second, when installing a tail dolly on a heavy-tailed glider, there is less of a chance of snagging the TE probe when lifting the tail or getting out from under the probe after installing the dolly.

Snagging the probe and breaking it loose inside the tail is not fun....

And finally, glider groupies find an upward thrusting TE probe much more exciting than a drooping one.

Or so I've heard...

Kirk
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