Pawnee Tow Release

I am currently rebuilding another Pawnee and converting from a spray plane to a tow plane. Extensive work has been completed on this bird, and I am about ready to install the tow hook. This is the third Pawnee that I have converted and I have used the hopper dump handle as the tow release handle which provides a huge amount of leverage and also a easy to get to location. I most cases the tow handle release is located on the floor, which causes the pilot to reach down to get to the handle. In this case the hopper release handle is just to the left side of the pilot and requires no bending down and allows the pilot to keep their eye on flying the plane. It requires just a bit of modification to make this conversion and in my case the inspector was impressed with the application.
If any of you are considering converting a Pawnee you should consider this modification.

sounds like a great idea. Can you post a picture?

Inactive as I am, I still speak out strongly against the floor mounted release. There is just no way to reach it when you have to in in a split second or maybe being thrown against the belts in a kiting situation. Also I encourage anyone and everyone to not use the Schweizer release— they won’t release under a side load. JMHO....

On 8/4/2019 11:16 PM, Bob Youngblood wrote:
I am currently rebuilding another Pawnee and converting from a spray plane
to a tow plane. Extensive work has been completed on this bird, and I am
about ready to install the tow hook. This is the third Pawnee that I have
converted and I have used the hopper dump handle as the tow release handle
which provides a huge amount of leverage and also a easy to get to
location. I most cases the tow handle release is located on the floor,
which causes the pilot to reach down to get to the handle. In this case the
hopper release handle is just to the left side of the pilot and requires no
bending down and allows the pilot to keep their eye on flying the plane. It
requires just a bit of modification to make this conversion and in my case
the inspector was impressed with the application. If any of you are
considering converting a Pawnee you should consider this modification.

"What (the other) Bob said."

The engineer in me can't help but wonder why the original designers of spray
planes put *their* 'emergency release' handles within easy release of their
ships' Joe Pilot. Every (ubiquitous in the USA) Air Tractor I've seen
similarly has this design. What a concept!

Bob - not a power pilot - W.

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On Monday, August 5, 2019 at 11:28:05 AM UTC-4, BobW wrote:
On 8/4/2019 11:16 PM, Bob Youngblood wrote:
I am currently rebuilding another Pawnee and converting from a spray plane
to a tow plane. Extensive work has been completed on this bird, and I am
about ready to install the tow hook. This is the third Pawnee that I have
converted and I have used the hopper dump handle as the tow release handle
which provides a huge amount of leverage and also a easy to get to
location. I most cases the tow handle release is located on the floor,
which causes the pilot to reach down to get to the handle. In this case the
hopper release handle is just to the left side of the pilot and requires no
bending down and allows the pilot to keep their eye on flying the plane. It
requires just a bit of modification to make this conversion and in my case
the inspector was impressed with the application. If any of you are
considering converting a Pawnee you should consider this modification.

"What (the other) Bob said."

The engineer in me can't help but wonder why the original designers of spray
planes put *their* 'emergency release' handles within easy release of their
ships' Joe Pilot. Every (ubiquitous in the USA) Air Tractor I've seen
similarly has this design. What a concept!

Bob - not a power pilot - W.

---
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
https://www.avg.com

There is no doubt that this release is the safest for the Pawnee. No fumbling around for the release, and with a 3 foot extension makes the pull load much easier. I hope to post a pic soon. Bob Y

In the 3 Pawnee’s I fly 2 use the floor mounted dump lever which I like. The other one uses a shorter lever mounted in front of the throttle which I like even more!

On Monday, August 5, 2019 at 1:16:45 AM UTC-4, Bob Youngblood wrote:
I most cases the tow handle release is located on the floor, which causes the pilot to reach down to get to the handle. . . .

Years back, one of the Pawnees at the Warrenton Soaring Center crashed when the glider kited on takeoff, and the towpilot was physically unable to reach the floor mounted handle due to the g-forces in the cockpit. Survived, but broke his ankles.

On Monday, August 5, 2019 at 1:16:45 AM UTC-4, Bob Youngblood wrote:
I am currently rebuilding another Pawnee and converting from a spray plane to a tow plane. Extensive work has been completed on this bird, and I am about ready to install the tow hook. This is the third Pawnee that I have converted and I have used the hopper dump handle as the tow release handle which provides a huge amount of leverage and also a easy to get to location. I most cases the tow handle release is located on the floor, which causes the pilot to reach down to get to the handle. In this case the hopper release handle is just to the left side of the pilot and requires no bending down and allows the pilot to keep their eye on flying the plane. It requires just a bit of modification to make this conversion and in my case the inspector was impressed with the application.
If any of you are considering converting a Pawnee you should consider this modification.

Back in the 1970's, I towed with a Citabria that had the release cable connected directly to steel tubing directly over the front windscreen. It ran toward the rear and through a guide high in the back of the cabin. To release you just reached up, grabbed the wire and pulled straight down. That was my favorite release of all time. Since then I must have flown at least six other towplanes with all sorts of release mechanisms. The least favorite is the floor release which I think is unsafe for the reasons you mentioned. In addition, if the pilot does not look down it can be confused with the flap control on many airplanes.

On Sunday, August 11, 2019 at 1:41:35 PM UTC-4, Hal wrote:
On Monday, August 5, 2019 at 1:16:45 AM UTC-4, Bob Youngblood wrote:
I am currently rebuilding another Pawnee and converting from a spray plane to a tow plane. Extensive work has been completed on this bird, and I am about ready to install the tow hook. This is the third Pawnee that I have converted and I have used the hopper dump handle as the tow release handle which provides a huge amount of leverage and also a easy to get to location. I most cases the tow handle release is located on the floor, which causes the pilot to reach down to get to the handle. In this case the hopper release handle is just to the left side of the pilot and requires no bending down and allows the pilot to keep their eye on flying the plane. It requires just a bit of modification to make this conversion and in my case the inspector was impressed with the application.
If any of you are considering converting a Pawnee you should consider this modification.

Back in the 1970's, I towed with a Citabria that had the release cable connected directly to steel tubing directly over the front windscreen. It ran toward the rear and through a guide high in the back of the cabin. To release you just reached up, grabbed the wire and pulled straight down. That was my favorite release of all time. Since then I must have flown at least six other towplanes with all sorts of release mechanisms. The least favorite is the floor release which I think is unsafe for the reasons you mentioned. In addition, if the pilot does not look down it can be confused with the flap control on many airplanes.

Yes, I agree 100%, back at Thermal Research our towplane had the release mounted just toward the upper left of the cockpit, a great place to easily access during any situation. The floor release is the least favorable of all. As you mentioned it certainly is close to the flap handle on many planes. The hopper handle in my opinion is the best release handle for the Pawnee.

On Monday, August 5, 2019 at 7:44:32 PM UTC-4, Charles Longley wrote:
In the 3 Pawnee’s I fly 2 use the floor mounted dump lever which I like. The other one uses a shorter lever mounted in front of the throttle which I like even more!

Our Pawnee floor lever lies almost on the floor. There is a tab with a hole which looks like it should have a tension spring to keep the handle more upright. Anyone know if there is supposed to be a tension spring here? Where would the other end attach? Part number?
Thanks in advance,

Bob 7U