Lubricant for spar pins

On Saturday, January 6, 2018 at 11:44:13 PM UTC-5, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
Did a search of RAS and all the threads were quite old, so I thought I would ask what lubricant do you use when assembling your glider? I have noticed that the lube that comes with Schleicher gliders seems to have more friction and lube. Of course there is the old standby of white lithium, but any new ideas?


i know a very well respected pilot with a good reputation for maintenance who uses plain old vaseline. both because it works, and because it washes out of clothes. no more grease rings on your thigh.

On Wednesday, January 10, 2018 at 2:19:51 PM UTC, ND wrote:
On Saturday, January 6, 2018 at 11:44:13 PM UTC-5, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
Did a search of RAS and all the threads were quite old, so I thought I would ask what lubricant do you use when assembling your glider? I have noticed that the lube that comes with Schleicher gliders seems to have more friction and lube. Of course there is the old standby of white lithium, but any new ideas?


i know a very well respected pilot with a good reputation for maintenance who uses plain old vaseline. both because it works, and because it washes out of clothes. no more grease rings on your thigh.

Be secure in your machismo - use a rigging apron!

Putting on and then removing a rigging apron takes valuable time, time that you might not be able to afford in a high-speed relight from an early off-field landing in a competition.

Wait...those aren't allowed anymore. Living in the past. How many on this group recall those "exciting" dashes back to the contest, throwing the glider together as fast as possible, and relaunching, hoping to do better the second time? The rapid assembly was sometimes made easier by taking some shortcuts in the derigging process at the landout site. We once hauled our 1-26 back without installing the spar hold down bolts on the trailer by parking someone in the back of the station wagon to to make sure the wings didn't slide off the trailer during the 10 mile drive back to the contest site. A long time ago.

Chip Bearden