Nose release for a Ventus B

The additional moment arm provided by a nose hook vs. a CG hook is minimal unless the glider is very far out of position. If the glider is this far out of position on the ground, the release should have been pulled long before the additional moment arm started helping out in a significant way. Properly piloted, there is no difficulty managing the gliders I have flown using CG hooks for aerotow (Open Cirrus, GROB 103 ACRO, LS6, ASW27). Improperly piloted either one can give you a bad result. If you have some hesitancy about aerotow on a CG hook, your money would probably be better spent with an instructor to get your skill and confidence level up to the point that you were no longer concerned about this.

SF

snip I've seen a few gliders (as T8 describes) out west retro-fitted
with Applebay nose (under nose actually) hooks, which retract flush after
release. Similar in design to the Schreder releases. Rather cheaper to
install than TOST options, if available.

Frank Whiteley
snip

I don't think George's release mechanism is certified and is only
retrofittable to experimental gliders. I was discussing this very subject
yesterday with a friend who has an Applebay release mounted about 18-24
inches aft of the nose of his Mini Nimbus. He's very happy with it and, I
must say, it looks good and is much lower drag than a similarly located Tost
release.

One problem I have come across with the nose release on some Schempp Hirth gliders is that during the aerotow the tow rope masks the Pitot tube just above the release and ASI does not read correctly, if at all. As long as the glider is responding to the controls all is well. It makes me nervous after flying other types which show airspeed when on tow.

On 31/10/2013 01:46, Evan Ludeman wrote:

My view: in many cases there are much better things to spend your
money on. A case in point would be an ASW-20. Quite delightfully
stable and easy to fly on tow on the CG hook, with no tow induced
pitch trim to speak of. You would be silly to dump money into a nose
hook on an 20A model in favor of the automatic hook up elevator
modification (expensive, but a life saver).
......
Evan Ludeman / T8

Nose hooks are compulsory in Australia.

Shortly after I got my 20, I asked a fellow owner if he got the same
loud drumming vibration (coming from under my legs) that I did around
70kts and above. He said "No."

I asked what he thought might cause it. He said "It's the cavity behind
the nose hook opening resonating. I asked why he didn't have the noise.
He said "Because I taped up the nose hook opening. If I use the nose
hook it causes an annoying resonance above about 70 knots. I launch on
the CG hook."

GC