Hi Ian; We use a "boot" which fits over the glider end of the rope. It is made of a neoprene type material. Its main function is to protect the rings but it also serves to protect the splice. I don't believe that we have ever had a problem with the glider end splice.
On Tue, 12 Apr 2011, Ian Mc Phee wrote: > I FOR ONE WILL NOW ALWAYS TOW TO 500ft ABOVE SLIP STREAM IN A HEAVY GLIDER- > no iffs or buts > > About every 10 years/2000hr tow pilots seem to go out of their way to raise > my stress levels to make sure I am awake and still on the ball. > > My most recent one was Dec 30, 2010 and I was giving a CFI of a club his > first flight in a new 2 seater glider (AUW 710kg) and he choose to climb > out just below slipstream. Unfortunately the tow pilot was following his > ASI instead of attitude. We called for more speed and you guessed it a loop > which was not real bad but rope broke and we were left with a very > interesting low level return to the field having to go around a line of > trees. The alternative was a straight ahead to the lake and if they can land > on lakes in Sweden and fly next day then so can we in AUS. > > There is a old saying "straight ahead to the hospital or left or right to > the cemetery" but when you are faced with a decision it is very tempting to > turn back trust me!! > > Next day we discovered the pitot in tug was partly blocked (very very slow > at responding) by hornet nest. If it was fully blocked then clearly it > rises to full scale as you climb and goes to zero on decent. Unfortunately > the tug pilot was never taught this. Anyhow I am donating $8 auto pitot > cover for tug which should go on this week so never again should this happen > > So what I am leading to is > > 1 Hence forth I will ALWAYS climb out just above the slip stream to say > 500ft ESPECIALLY in heavy gliders > 2 I believe SPLICED (joined) ropes have no place in gliding (This rope had > a SPLICE in it 1/3 the way to tug).. > 3 Personally I would prefer to see a bowline knot at the glider end as they > are easier to redo when showing wear. I see it often happens that a worn > splice left in ropes far too long. I understand little hard burnt knobs > should be sticking out from the splice and when they wear away the splice > should be REDONE. The end of the splice quickly becomes the ropes weak link > and not the tost weak link at other end which is what happened in this > incident. > 4 Ropes MUST be end for ended early rather than later. > 5 Tug pilots must once straight ahead is not an option go left or right of > track (obviously the downwind side of field) so glider has > less maneuvering to return to the field. > 6 Tug pilots at beginning of each days towing should carefully check their > rope for condition, rejecting crap ropes and then the hook on person should > check for the rest of the day. > 7 I read on this list one club replace ropes at 200flights and at least > they get no rope brakes. > > My other problems from the past are an aerotow retrieve but the tow pilot > only had one magneto on and my only alternative was a Murray River landing. > Another was the fabric of tug started coming off in strips heading down the > rope towards me in the glider. I went to above slipstream (but rope still > came along the rope. The cause of this was a leaking battery acid which > destroyed the fabric!!! > > Remember the Swiss cheese is alive and well around all gliding activities. > The problem is when the holes line up. > > Ian McPhee > 0428847642 > > > On 12 April 2011 18:02, stephenk <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Low tow has some advantages and is the GFA preferred way, but is certainly > > not mandatory. > > > > From the BGK: > > "When the tug leaves the ground, a noticeable slipstream is > > produced from its wingtips and this > > combines with the propwash to produce considerable turbulence. If intending > > to carry out a high tow, > > a position above the slipstream is maintained as the combination climbs > > away. Remember that high > > tow is, by definition, just above the slipstream, not above the > > tug. The slipstream is the primary > > reference, not one of the fixtures on the tug. > > Note: Slipstream is composed mainly of wingtip vortices. It is > > only present in flight, not on the > > ground. The only tug-produced turbulence on the ground is propwash. > > If intending to carry out a low tow, maintain station above the slipstream > > until the tug is positively > > established in a climb. Then move gently but positively down through the > > turbulence of the slipstream > > until the turbulence ceases. The glider is now in the low-tow position. > > Once again the slipstream is the > > primary reference. Do not go too low in relation to the slipstream - it is > > not necessary. " > > > > Regards > > SWK > > > > > > > > On 12/04/2011 5:04 PM, Peter F Bradshaw wrote: > > > >> Hi Adam; > >> > >> Interesting. We are a mandatory low tow club. I thought that all clubs > >> in Australia were likewise. > >> > >> On Tue, 12 Apr 2011, Adam Woolley wrote: > >> > >> High tow all the way, so much easier - and definitely gives you more > >>> options > >>> in the early stages of the tow. > >>> > >>> WPP > >>> Cheers -- Peter F Bradshaw: http://www.exadios.com (public keys avaliable there). Personal site: http://personal.exadios.com "I love truth, and the way the government still uses it occasionally to keep us guessing." - Sam Kekovich. _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring
