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#11
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Spectra winching question
On Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:32:43 -0400, Tony V wrote:
In our case, our insurer (Costello) said it's going to be synthetic rope or nothing. Sounds like bildan was quite prescient about insurer sensitivities. -- martin@ | Martin Gregorie gregorie. | Essex, UK org | |
#12
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Spectra winching question
Hi Bill,
got any pics of the 20" disk? We use spectra as you know. We just put cg hooks on our club gliders. Wow what difference from nose hooks. The day we flew was 90' cross and the gliders now get the same altitude they did on the nose hook with wind down the runway. Our runway gives about 4,000'. Got 1400' on the 126 with a conservative launch as we were testing the newly installed hooks. Then got away in light lift for 1/2 or so. Not bad for a $10 launch! Of course in my ship with the wind down the runway I was consistently getting 1900'. Plenty to soar away with! We use one of the large chutes from Germany. it weighs a lot and I wonder if it does cause a lot of drag. Steve |
#13
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Spectra winching question
On 6/20/2011 10:02 AM, Herbert kilian wrote:
Europeans have tens of thousands of winch launches of experience with Spectra/Dyneema rope on us and as far as I hear they don't see real advantages (meaning they are switching back to steel). Neither in life expectancy nor in launch height or ease of splicing are there significant reasons to abandon steel. In fact, the winch guillotine has to be modified to cut Spectra, much more difficult than severing a steel cable. Unless you are winching from a really nasty surface I'd say that the steel cable is still overall the best material to go with. I miss the good old days when - in a crosswind, winching from a narrow runway bordered by downwind powerlines - anyone with a winch and steel wire could (and per the literature not rarely did) easily and spectacularly kill the power in the 'hood. Can plastic do this? Would Ben Franklin have used plastic rope for his famous kite experiment? Funnily enough, I *don't* miss the thrill lost when watching plastic fall harmlessly to the ground (say, after an unplanned 'wire' break) compared to wondering how well-constructed some home-brew winch's safety cage was while watching steel rope or single-strand downhole wire lunging toward me. (Yes, I know I coulda deferred winching until a 'decent winch' became available, but unfortunately I'm mortal, and I never wanted to discover how fine the line between disappointed/angry glider pilots and an ugly mob!) Regards, Bob - those darned double-edged swords! - W. |
#14
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Spectra winching question
On Jun 20, 5:03*pm, Stephen wrote:
Hi Bill, got any pics of the 20" disk? We use spectra as you know. We just put cg hooks on our club gliders. Wow what difference from nose hooks. The day we flew was 90' cross and the gliders now get the same altitude they did on the nose hook with wind down the runway. *Our runway gives about 4,000'. Got 1400' on the 126 with a conservative launch as we were testing the newly installed hooks. Then got away in light lift for 1/2 or so. Not bad for a $10 launch! *Of course in my ship with the wind down the runway I was consistently getting 1900'. Plenty to soar away with! We use one of the large chutes from Germany. it weighs a lot and I wonder if it does cause a lot of drag. Steve Steve, you don't need a picture - just take a look at the bottom of a 55 Gal plastic barrel. Cut off the bottom with a sabre saw or box cutter leaving a 1" - 2" lip for edge reinforcing. The lip goes on the glider side so it doesn't dig in. While you're at it, stock up on several disks as they get beat up after a few hundred launches. Used barrels range from dirt cheap to free. They come in various diameters so get the biggest one you can find. Put an I-bolt through the middle of the disk using large fender washers. Avoid the cheap bent-rod I-bolts and get the forged ones. Use an I-nut(?) so there are rings on both sides of the disk. Put the weak link on the glider side of the disk so the disk pulls away toward the winch if the link breaks. If you want to look really cool, match the color of the disk to the weak link so everyone can see the right link is being used. This isn't specific to disks but I don't like to see anyone in front of a glider after it is connected to the winch. To do this put a ring for the Tost ring and hook quick connect on the winch end of the winch rope - or vice versa if you prefer, it isn't important. This way the safety rope with disk can be attached to the glider CG hook as it is being prepared for launch. Pull the disk and safety rope to the side beyond the wing tip. The winch rope is attached to the disk and safety rope only when the pilot signals he is ready to launch. This procedure keeps the ground crew out of harms way while hooking up a rope. |
#15
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Spectra winching question
On Jun 20, 9:11*pm, bildan wrote:
On Jun 20, 5:03*pm, Stephen wrote: Hi Bill, got any pics of the 20" disk? We use spectra as you know. We just put cg hooks on our club gliders. Wow what difference from nose hooks. The day we flew was 90' cross and the gliders now get the same altitude they did on the nose hook with wind down the runway. *Our runway gives about 4,000'. Got 1400' on the 126 with a conservative launch as we were testing the newly installed hooks. Then got away in light lift for 1/2 or so. Not bad for a $10 launch! *Of course in my ship with the wind down the runway I was consistently getting 1900'. Plenty to soar away with! We use one of the large chutes from Germany. it weighs a lot and I wonder if it does cause a lot of drag. Steve Steve, you don't need a picture - just take a look at the bottom of a 55 Gal plastic barrel. *Cut off the bottom with a sabre saw or box cutter leaving a 1" - 2" lip for edge reinforcing. *The lip goes on the glider side so it doesn't dig in. *While you're at it, stock up on several disks as they get beat up after a few hundred launches. *Used barrels range from dirt cheap to free. *They come in various diameters so get the biggest one you can find. Put an I-bolt through the middle of the disk using large fender washers. *Avoid the cheap bent-rod I-bolts and get the forged ones. Use an I-nut(?) so there are rings on both sides of the disk. *Put the weak link on the glider side of the disk so the disk pulls away toward the winch if the link breaks. If you want to look really cool, match the color of the disk to the weak link so everyone can see the right link is being used. This isn't specific to disks but I don't like to see anyone in front of a glider after it is connected to the winch. *To do this put a ring for the Tost ring and hook quick connect on the winch end of the winch rope - or vice versa if you prefer, it isn't important. *This way the safety rope with disk can be attached to the glider CG hook as it is being prepared for launch. *Pull the disk and safety rope to the side beyond the wing tip. *The winch rope is attached to the disk and safety rope only when the pilot signals he is ready to launch. *This procedure keeps the ground crew out of harms way while hooking up a rope.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Bill, Sorry to divert, but where are you operating? |
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