Tow plane types/mods for high density altitude glider towing

What are your favorite aircraft types (and modifications) for glider towing in high density altitude and/or short runways?

Ag-Cat with Wasp Jr.!

On Monday, August 12, 2019 at 6:57:00 PM UTC-7, wrote:
Ag-Cat with Wasp Jr.!

Jerry Marshall's 400HP Brave!
He never did get the turbine Brave ready for towing.
Jim

A 300-hp Ag Wagon works just fine at 9,500' density altitude.Â* Quite
comfortable for the tow pilot, too!

On 8/12/2019 8:58 PM, JS wrote:
On Monday, August 12, 2019 at 6:57:00 PM UTC-7, wrote:
Ag-Cat with Wasp Jr.!
Jerry Marshall's 400HP Brave!
He never did get the turbine Brave ready for towing.
Jim

--
Dan, 5J

On Tuesday, August 13, 2019 at 10:15:33 AM UTC-4, Dan Marotta wrote:
A 300-hp Ag Wagon works just fine at 9,500' density altitude.Â* Quite
comfortable for the tow pilot, too!

On 8/12/2019 8:58 PM, JS wrote:
On Monday, August 12, 2019 at 6:57:00 PM UTC-7, wrote:
Ag-Cat with Wasp Jr.!
Jerry Marshall's 400HP Brave!
He never did get the turbine Brave ready for towing.
Jim

--
Dan, 5J

Our situation here in Florida is quiet different because of our MSL. I have a Pawnee with 180 hp. It does very well for the most part. I also have a 235 Pawnee that is certainly more powerful, but After all is said I would rather have the 180 Pawnee for my personal use. We call it the Yellow Gorilla, and it has done a great job for our club.

On Monday, August 12, 2019 at 9:38:43 PM UTC-4, son_of_flubber wrote:
What are your favorite aircraft types (and modifications) for glider towing in high density altitude and/or short runways?

I fly a heavy two-seater and have been towed in hot/high locations (DA around 10k') behind a Pawnee 235, CallAir A9, C188 AgWagon and a C185 SkyWagon. All four did a reasonable job with the C188 being the best. I think the Pawnee and definitely the two Cessnas had a constant speed prop and did actually better than the CallAir, which I was told had the most HP. I have no idea if any one of them had turbo-charged engines. A low wing, constant speed prop and lots of uumph seems to be the winning combination.

Uli
'AS'

Uli,

It sounds like you're talking about Moriarty.Â* The Pawnee has 260 hp and
a CS prop, the Call Air has 290 hp and a fixed pitch prop, and the Ag
Wagon has 300 hp and a constant speed prop.

The Call Air, with its 94" prop is the noisiest of the bunch with its
supersonic tip speed, but most of the tow pilots don't reduce RPM on the
other two after getting safely airborne, resulting in about as much
noise.Â* I hate to think of all those 10-15 minute tows at full RPM.Â* I
wonder if the 5-minute limit is for RPM or for max power (which isn't
available at our altitudes).Â* When I was towing, I always reduced RPM
after we were both established in climb and I never got any complaints
from glider pilots.

On 8/12/2019 9:01 PM, AS wrote:
On Monday, August 12, 2019 at 9:38:43 PM UTC-4, son_of_flubber wrote:
What are your favorite aircraft types (and modifications) for glider towing in high density altitude and/or short runways?
I fly a heavy two-seater and have been towed in hot/high locations (DA around 10k') behind a Pawnee 235, CallAir A9, C188 AgWagon and a C185 SkyWagon. All four did a reasonable job with the C188 being the best. I think the Pawnee and definitely the two Cessnas had a constant speed prop and did actually better than the CallAir, which I was told had the most HP. I have no idea if any one of them had turbo-charged engines. A low wing, constant speed prop and lots of uumph seems to be the winning combination.

Uli
'AS'

--
Dan, 5J

On Tuesday, August 13, 2019 at 10:21:41 AM UTC-4, Dan Marotta wrote:
Uli,

It sounds like you're talking about Moriarty.Â* The Pawnee has 260 hp and
a CS prop, the Call Air has 290 hp and a fixed pitch prop, and the Ag
Wagon has 300 hp and a constant speed prop.

The Call Air, with its 94" prop is the noisiest of the bunch with its
supersonic tip speed, but most of the tow pilots don't reduce RPM on the
other two after getting safely airborne, resulting in about as much
noise.Â* I hate to think of all those 10-15 minute tows at full RPM.Â* I
wonder if the 5-minute limit is for RPM or for max power (which isn't
available at our altitudes).Â* When I was towing, I always reduced RPM
after we were both established in climb and I never got any complaints
from glider pilots.

On 8/12/2019 9:01 PM, AS wrote:
On Monday, August 12, 2019 at 9:38:43 PM UTC-4, son_of_flubber wrote:
What are your favorite aircraft types (and modifications) for glider towing in high density altitude and/or short runways?
I fly a heavy two-seater and have been towed in hot/high locations (DA around 10k') behind a Pawnee 235, CallAir A9, C188 AgWagon and a C185 SkyWagon. All four did a reasonable job with the C188 being the best. I think the Pawnee and definitely the two Cessnas had a constant speed prop and did actually better than the CallAir, which I was told had the most HP. I have no idea if any one of them had turbo-charged engines. A low wing, constant speed prop and lots of uumph seems to be the winning combination.

Uli
'AS'

--
Dan, 5J

It sounds like you're talking about Moriarty.
Yep - and Montrose, CO behind a beautiful C185. :-)

Uli
'AS'

And the best towplane "modification" is a highly competent pilot in the tug.

On Monday, August 12, 2019 at 9:38:43 PM UTC-4, son_of_flubber wrote:
What are your favorite aircraft types (and modifications) for glider towing in high density altitude and/or short runways?

They used to have 450hp Stearman at Stroudsburg. It wasn't a tow so much as being dragged vertically into the air.


P3