"E. A. Grens" wrote in message
...
Martin -

I appreciate that, Bert. So far all the bad break descriptions have
described the cable lashing straight back over the winch. Has anybody
known it to go sideways and if so, how far to the side? I'm now
wondering if I should park the cable truck further away still or if my
usual position is reasonable.

As Bert said, the cable may strike anything within its range. That means
to
the side as well as straight back. Where the cable goes in a break
depends
little upon the wind (it has a low drag profile), but primarily on the
failure mode of the cable. The rupture across a cable is not simultaneous
at all points. It proceeds (rapidly) from one side to the opposite, and
in
doing so may impart a large lateral force on the cable. I have seen cable
breaks, not in sailplane launching, where the cable whipped its full
length
to the side. The whole circle of radius equal to the length of the cable
out, must be avoided if unprotected.

Ed Grens

This was also briefed to me at Aston Down on the reverse pulley, that the
wire clearance zone was quite large in the event of a break it could flail
about a large radius around the pulley.

Frank Whiteley