Noel
Yeah: More.
Ouch! Those 6 shooters are nasty.
Many years ago I somewhere I saw a gliding article called something like “ A
line from the log book”, which recorded an interesting flight.
Here is a line from my log-book. Flight number 541, 21 January 1983. A
competition flight out of Corowa. I am flying a H 303 Mosquito b, Rego
VH-FQO. The task ; Corowa A/F–Cootamundra A/F- Deniliquin A/F –Corowa A/F: 652
k. The day must have been OK, although not as good as forecast because in the
event only one glider made it home. I will say more about this later.
Doubtless, decision time came after rounding Deniliquin, with the day dying.
The majority of the field elected to head south of track and fly along the
Mighty Murray, using the heat from the Red Gums along its banks to sustain
flight – but unfortunately not generating a usable thermal. Rocky Mount
Boomanoomana - what a lovely name- some 40 k out of Corowa was a last chance,
but it was not to be.
Now it just so happened that in those days Bill Jane, brother to the famous
Bob, had a property here with an airstrip. I just had a look at Google Earth,
and today the strip appears to be long gone. However it ran N-S and was pencil
thin. I dumped the water – or so I thought – set up a circuit and prepared to
land. Hmmm, funny, the glider was not descending quite as planned in the dead
still air; more air brake required. Unbeknown to me, the left wing had failed
to dump – at all - and I was in the classic HELP ; High Energy Landing
Position. Anyway I got the glider onto the ground, and as the speed came off
the left wing promptly dropped, and up came the fence {remember I said the
strip was pencil thin}. The wheel brake on a fully serviced Mosquito (which FQO
was), can at best be described as “inadequate”. I am a firm convert to the
hydraulic disc brake. So full (adrenaline pumped), wheel brake, and the glider
stopped 12” from the fence.
This turned out to be a good thing, as I had now cleared the strip. I must have
been slightly leading the pack, because no sooner had I landed than another
glider appeared in circuit. Then another, and another. At one point in time
there were 3 gliders in circuit, but this was OK as by that stage we had
adequate ground crew to clear gliders off the strip, in preparation for the
next arrival.
I am guessing that by the end of the day, we had at least 12 gliders on that
strip. In my mind this strip is forever known as the Mount Boomanoomana
International Airport.
Noel, this reminds me to ask you “Do you remember Mary ‘Ski, tow pilot
extraordinaire, [and possibly), second in ability only to Brian Wood of the
GSC, who IMO is the ultimate tow-pilot maestro}. Mary and her Cessna were
available for aero-tow retrieves, but unfortunately, by this stage, darkness
was settling in on the land, so an aero tow retrieve was not an option.
My log-book shows total flight time for this flight as 8h 01m.
So what we have here is a classic example of dumping failure. The reason
proved to be totally unique- a one off, and basically irrelevant here. There
are no new lessons and thus it will not be further discussed.
I earlier mentioned that one pilot got home on the day. Noel you mentioned the
name Tony Tabart in reference to another (Mildura), post. Funny about that.
Yes Tony Tabart was the one pilot to get home that day. Tony had moved on from
the Kestrel, and was now flying a Nimbus 2 – VH-GTT.
The Deniliquin –Corowa leg of this task was all in Tony’s backyard as a
professional Sportavia (out of Tocumwal), instructor . So he did something
different to the gaggle. After rounding Deniliquin, he headed NORTH of track
towards Berrigan. Have a look at Berrigan on Google Earth. You will see that
there is a rocky area about 2 km south of the town. Tony headed for this and
was rewarded .... there was a late thermal to be had. The distance to Corowa is
about 60 km. At 48:1 in still air the required height to make Corowa is about
4100’. In reality no sweat at all.
Heil to the chief.
Gary
From: Noel Roediger [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, 1 September 2017 5:39 PM
To: 'Gary Stevenson'; 'Peter Champness'
Cc: 'Gliding Australia Forum'; Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in
Australia.; 'Beverley Roediger'
Subject: RE: [gfaforum] RE: Water bags and GFA forum
Dear Gary and Peter.
All of the early GRP sailplanes were built using balsa as meat in the sandwich.
The penny should have dropped, when the balsa sheets began to show during
winter, that the structure was not water proof and the balsa was not
hermitically sealed.
When water ballast was used in these sailplanes it was contained in bags –
with the exception of the Cirrus – that were made from waterproof material that
could not be securely bonded.
My LS3 was delivered with bags made from plastic shower curtain material. Those
bags were replaced – at minimal cost by LS. They were made from sheets of
fabric re-enforced rubber which had vulcanised seams which never failed but
after about three years during a form2 inspection when laid out on the lawn
applying the pressure they resembled monstrous soaker hoses. The internal
rubber had perished. The next bags “Guaranteed not to leak” didn’t even get
into the wings. They leaked more than the previous ones.
The last pair I fitted were made by Clipper Plastics. They were much better
made and welded. I sold Vixen to TC. How did they stand up Terry?
While the use of water ballast can cause serious issues sometimes it creates
humorous events.
Some years ago – at the Mildura Mini Comps – TT arrived with his crew and newly
purchased Kestrel XC. Mildura had no running water and a tanker supplied
water for the competitors who filled up their 25l containers from it and then
ballasted their sailplanes before briefing was held and because they were so
heavy generally put a tip on the ground held down by a tyre.
After briefing the TT team headed off to tow XC to the launch point. TT driving
the ute, XC on tow and Fairlie on his tip. As the tow rope became taught TT
noticed Fairlie trying to lift Charlies tip. Now Fairlie – in her prime –
could lift and carry a small horse but try as she could, the tip of Charlie
would not leave the ground. In a fit of ‘something’ TT leapt out of the ute and
threw himself across the top wing tip. His weight nearly bent Charlies tip to
the ground before their combined effort raised his stbd. wing so he rotated
around his wheel and the port tip impacted with the ground. The shock of that
was sufficient to flick Fairlie off and she landed flat on her back – seriously
winded – near the edge of the scrub.
The arrival of Charlies port wing on the also ground resulted in another
remarkable spectacle.
As TT lay across Charlies tip an audible rumble was heard which increased in
intensity and then a cylinder of water appeared from Charlies stbd. wing bag
hole and erupted into his luggage locker, then into his cockpit until it was
entirely filled.
A lot of truly remarkable events occurred at the Mini Comps. A lot more
available. How to derig a Nimbus with full ballast. Stealing a tug. Aero tow
retrieves, six-shooter ants etc..
Do you want to read about them?
Regards
Noel.
From: Gary Stevenson [ <mailto:[email protected]>
mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2017 9:35 PM
To: 'Peter Champness'
Cc: 'Gliding Australia Forum'
Subject: [gfaforum] RE: Water bags and GFA forum
Hi Peter,
‘Fraid I can’t help you with you perceived communication problem. I have
received your general posts quite OK in the past. Tim Shirley is the GFA IT
manager.
Re gliders with tanks as opposed to bags, NR has given you the answer in a
nutshell, buy please see my comment below about bags. Bags can perish and let
go inside the wing too!
Regardless, In both cases the ballast system must be checked for integrity, at
each Form 2 inspection, and if the system does not pass the test – there will
be a leak, as shown by failure of a pressure test - then it is a matter of
determining the location of the leak, and fixing it – for integral tanks this
could in many cases prove to be very difficult – or simply not flying with
water.
Noel mentioned foam, but some early gliders used balsa (eg Libelle), but
regardless, ingress of water into this core part of the structure is not good,
and the end result is exactly the same. In the case of the Libelle, at survey
(as opposed to annual), inspection, a 50 m diameter core is cut from a
specified location in the underside of the wing and examined. Then regardless
of the inspection outcome, a repair must be done to fix the hole. In passing,
I need to add here that Libelle’s use bags.
What is interesting with the Libelle, is the question of where the NEXT hole
should be cut, say 1000 hours down the track, at the following survey. I
suggest that for obvious (to me), reasons this next core should be taken from a
(slightly??), different location, but this is NOT specified. Would maintenance
guru’s like to make comment here?
Regards,
Gary
From: Peter Champness [ <mailto:[email protected]>
mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, 29 August 2017 8:38 PM
To: Gary Stevenson
Subject: Water bags and GFA forum
Gary, Can you help here?
It seems that I can receive some the Aus Soaring emails but I am not able post
to the group.
Who should I talk to?
Also do you know why most the gliders without waterbags are now banned from
carrying water?
Thanks Peter Champness
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