KGARS - Kiting Glider Automatic Relase System

On Friday, 15 May 2020 08:38:49 UTC-4, wrote:
KGARS – Kiting Glider Automatic Release System

About 10 years ago I assembled an auto tow hitch that utilized a TOST release and a small pneumatic cylinder. With a small air bottle at ~100 psi and a solenoid valve and a switch I was able to put the switch in the car for the driver in case there was a need to release the cable. Worked fine and opened in a fraction of a second. Links to a picture and old .AVI video below…

Leaving the concerns of certification, 337s, etc. towards the end of the project, I think a similar system could be designed that would detect an “beyond normal� aft stick input of the towpilot and automatically release the towplane end of the towrope. An aft stick input is probably the first input that occurs, intuitively and with minimal delay, in a upset event.

A simple pitot/static pressure switch could prevent the release from opening if the towplane was on the ground.

I suspect that installing the actuator in the cockpit in parallel with the manual release would probably makes the most sense. Keeping the manual release preserves the ability of the towpilot to release in case of failure or if things are going poorly for other reasons. Installing a “dump� switch could also afford the pilot the option to use the actuator if he/she so chose.

Supplying pressure for the system could be as simple as utilizing a 12g CO2 cartridge. The stroke volume of the cylinder I used was small and keeping a few spare cartridges in the towplane would make refilling cheap and convenient if needed.

Given the wealth of expertise of this group, I’m certain a system could be designed and FAA paperwork completed if there was a group willing to work on this type of project.

While admonishing glider pilots to release if they lose sight of the towplane is valid, the kiting event I saw recently occurred due to aft seat back movement and in the first 1-2 seconds there was no way the pilot could get to the relase. Fortunatly, that event ended as well as could be hoped for. Something that’s automatic and very fast acting would probably enhance towpilot safety.

With all due respect,

Mark

http://daziv.com/kgars/hitch.jpg

http://daziv.com/kgars/release.avi

Non-expert posting he

Apologies if this is overly simplistic, but what about a KAGARS which is actuated solely by one criteria, that is Tow-Plane attitude? Solid state devices which measure this are plentiful and accurate.... For example, if (Tow Plane attitude is less than -10 degrees, release).

On Friday, May 22, 2020 at 9:06:03 AM UTC-6, weemacgregor wrote:
On Friday, 15 May 2020 08:38:49 UTC-4, wrote:
KGARS – Kiting Glider Automatic Release System

About 10 years ago I assembled an auto tow hitch that utilized a TOST release and a small pneumatic cylinder. With a small air bottle at ~100 psi and a solenoid valve and a switch I was able to put the switch in the car for the driver in case there was a need to release the cable. Worked fine and opened in a fraction of a second. Links to a picture and old .AVI video below…

Leaving the concerns of certification, 337s, etc. towards the end of the project, I think a similar system could be designed that would detect an “beyond normal� aft stick input of the towpilot and automatically release the towplane end of the towrope. An aft stick input is probably the first input that occurs, intuitively and with minimal delay, in a upset event.

A simple pitot/static pressure switch could prevent the release from opening if the towplane was on the ground.

I suspect that installing the actuator in the cockpit in parallel with the manual release would probably makes the most sense. Keeping the manual release preserves the ability of the towpilot to release in case of failure or if things are going poorly for other reasons. Installing a “dump� switch could also afford the pilot the option to use the actuator if he/she so chose.

Supplying pressure for the system could be as simple as utilizing a 12g CO2 cartridge. The stroke volume of the cylinder I used was small and keeping a few spare cartridges in the towplane would make refilling cheap and convenient if needed.

Given the wealth of expertise of this group, I’m certain a system could be designed and FAA paperwork completed if there was a group willing to work on this type of project.

While admonishing glider pilots to release if they lose sight of the towplane is valid, the kiting event I saw recently occurred due to aft seat back movement and in the first 1-2 seconds there was no way the pilot could get to the relase. Fortunatly, that event ended as well as could be hoped for. Something that’s automatic and very fast acting would probably enhance towpilot safety.

With all due respect,

Mark

http://daziv.com/kgars/hitch.jpg

http://daziv.com/kgars/release.avi

Non-expert posting he

Apologies if this is overly simplistic, but what about a KAGARS which is actuated solely by one criteria, that is Tow-Plane attitude? Solid state devices which measure this are plentiful and accurate.... For example, if (Tow Plane attitude is less than -10 degrees, release).

If it were SOLEY based on tow plane attitude, then a tow plane diving after release of tow could potentially release the tow rope unnecessarily, and loose the tow rope. That could get expensive.

On Friday, May 22, 2020 at 12:30:45 PM UTC-7, John Foster wrote:
On Friday, May 22, 2020 at 9:06:03 AM UTC-6, weemacgregor wrote:
On Friday, 15 May 2020 08:38:49 UTC-4, wrote:
KGARS – Kiting Glider Automatic Release System

About 10 years ago I assembled an auto tow hitch that utilized a TOST release and a small pneumatic cylinder. With a small air bottle at ~100 psi and a solenoid valve and a switch I was able to put the switch in the car for the driver in case there was a need to release the cable. Worked fine and opened in a fraction of a second. Links to a picture and old .AVI video below…

Leaving the concerns of certification, 337s, etc. towards the end of the project, I think a similar system could be designed that would detect an “beyond normal� aft stick input of the towpilot and automatically release the towplane end of the towrope. An aft stick input is probably the first input that occurs, intuitively and with minimal delay, in a upset event.

A simple pitot/static pressure switch could prevent the release from opening if the towplane was on the ground.

I suspect that installing the actuator in the cockpit in parallel with the manual release would probably makes the most sense. Keeping the manual release preserves the ability of the towpilot to release in case of failure or if things are going poorly for other reasons. Installing a “dump� switch could also afford the pilot the option to use the actuator if he/she so chose.

Supplying pressure for the system could be as simple as utilizing a 12g CO2 cartridge. The stroke volume of the cylinder I used was small and keeping a few spare cartridges in the towplane would make refilling cheap and convenient if needed.

Given the wealth of expertise of this group, I’m certain a system could be designed and FAA paperwork completed if there was a group willing to work on this type of project.

While admonishing glider pilots to release if they lose sight of the towplane is valid, the kiting event I saw recently occurred due to aft seat back movement and in the first 1-2 seconds there was no way the pilot could get to the relase. Fortunatly, that event ended as well as could be hoped for. Something that’s automatic and very fast acting would probably enhance towpilot safety.

With all due respect,

Mark

http://daziv.com/kgars/hitch.jpg

http://daziv.com/kgars/release.avi

Non-expert posting he

Apologies if this is overly simplistic, but what about a KAGARS which is actuated solely by one criteria, that is Tow-Plane attitude? Solid state devices which measure this are plentiful and accurate.... For example, if (Tow Plane attitude is less than -10 degrees, release).

If it were SOLEY based on tow plane attitude, then a tow plane diving after release of tow could potentially release the tow rope unnecessarily, and loose the tow rope. That could get expensive.

What is needed is a towplane instrumented with a flight data recorder that includes GPS position, triaxial accelerometers and rate gyros so that data can be collected from many tows in many different conditions. Simulated upsets at altitude would also have to be flown. Using this data AI neural networks could learn what constitutes normal towing and what constitutes an upset.

Tom