Wheel brake effectiveness standards

On Friday, October 16, 2020 at 10:55:16 PM UTC-4, Kenn Sebesta wrote:

Does anyone have any domain specific experience they could share?


Any properly adjusted brake will work well enough to stop your glider.

I fly an LS 1-f with the brakes and spoilers on the same control. The spoilers will open fully and a little more pull on the spoiler control will actuate the brakes. I have the standard drum brakes and I can brake hard enough to cause the nose of my glider to pitch forward and rub on the ground. I do not do this very often.

My point is, there is enough brake power to stop your glider without over thinking this. Proper maintenance is the most important. You need to adjust the brakes to work as intended.

I'm pretty sure that in some cerfification standard there is this specification: "pilot should be able to move some lever is the cockpit marked as wheel brake, and preferably hear scratching sound while pulling it, so that he feels like he is applying wheel brake. No decelaration is needed, however."

At least this is how they were made for decades, before someone invented hydraulic disc brakes.

krasw wrote on 10/17/2020 6:50 AM:
I'm pretty sure that in some cerfification standard there is this specification: "pilot should be able to move some lever is the cockpit marked as wheel brake, and preferably hear scratching sound while pulling it, so that he feels like he is applying wheel brake. No decelaration is needed, however."

At least this is how they were made for decades, before someone invented hydraulic disc brakes.

You describe my experience with my Std Cirrus in the early '80s :^)

I am told owners now know much more about improving the braking ability and maintaining it. If
the OP opts for a Std Cirrus, he should contact other owners, and take their brake advice.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

The Tost drum brake on my PIK20D, if you turned the drum, relined the shoes and had them arced perfectly to the drum, and carefully assembled everything clean and neat, would stop the glider (or put it on its nose). For the first flight. By the fourth or fifth flight, just adequate. By the tenth flight, you'd be better off opening the canopy and dragging your foot. In contrast, on my ASH26, the Cleveland disk brake will skid the wheel flight after flight, year after year. If I have the choice of a couple of extra pounds to overkill the brake, or dragging my foot to stop, give me the former.

On Saturday, October 17, 2020 at 6:50:35 AM UTC-7, krasw wrote:
I'm pretty sure that in some cerfification standard there is this specification: "pilot should be able to move some lever is the cockpit marked as wheel brake, and preferably hear scratching sound while pulling it, so that he feels like he is applying wheel brake. No decelaration is needed, however."

At least this is how they were made for decades, before someone invented hydraulic disc brakes.