On Monday, May 20, 2013 8:26:41 AM UTC-6, Tony wrote:
On Monday, May 20, 2013 9:19:03 AM UTC-5, WB wrote:

In article , Martin Gregorie wrote: I wouldn't accept a winch or auto-tow launch if there wasn't a functional guillotine installed so that its release was instantly accessible to the driver and/or the person monitoring the launch. We used to do a lot of ground launching via the "pulley method". We always had an observer in the tow car watching the launch. Our "guillotine" was a sharp machete in the hands of the observer. Of course we were also taught to immediately bank into a tight turn and circle the tow vehicle if we could not release. I always had my doubts about recognizing the release failure in time to cut the line or to turn and get tension off the line before things got out of hand. All the pulley launch rigs I have seen are just a bare pulley, usually a truck rim mounted an a trailer hitch. No fairleads or other structure. I guess a guillotine could be mounted to such a rig. Would be a good Idea, I think.



If you're using a pulley why not just have a release on the tow vehicle?

http://framework.latimes.com/2013/05...hed-sailplane/