My limited experience with launching a hang glider via a payout winch was that we only got about 1/3 of the runway length and that was with good headwind. About 900ft on a 2800ft or so runway.

Most issues and accidents with hang gliders and payout winches happen due to "lockout" when you get turned and can't recover. Without control surfaces it gets bad in a hurry.

Vehicle speeds were about the same as with a static line. 20-30mph depending on the headwind.

The launch is crazy exciting though. You're laying in your harness, on the back of a pickup racing down a runway/road. At 35mph airspeed or so (I don't remember specifics) you hit a release and pop off the truck instantly to about 20 ft, then slowly start winding out. Just like a glider ground launch, once high enough you maximize your climb angle.

When you hit thermals, the tension was pretty constant so you just surged higher as the drum let more line out.

We are working on getting our glider winch going. I will let you know how I think they compare once we have our ducks in a row and are launching with it.

Morgan

On Tuesday, May 7, 2013 9:52:21 AM UTC-7, GM wrote:
On Tuesday, May 7, 2013 12:46:40 AM UTC-4, Waveguru wrote:

If we had slowed down a little, and tightened up the tension a bit, we could have added a couple hundred more feet? What do you think about the "Payout Winch"?







http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5WDiHHgua8







Boggs



How long is the runway? With a well-built conventional winch, you can typically achieve a release height of 45-50% of the line length.



Uli

Winchmeister of the Carolina Soaring Assoc.