On Sunday, June 9, 2013 4:02:31 PM UTC-6, Don Johnstone wrote:
If you do not have a nosewheel, as in most single seaters fitting a strong brake is really a waste of time and money because you cannot use it. Even the "weak" brakes fitted to gliders such as the discus can only be used with care.

You can not use the breaking power you do not have, but you can modulate the extra breaking power you do have. Better a scraped nose than a busted glider. And having a nose hook also lowers the odds of having to release and use all the braking power.

Having flown tail wheel gliders with too little and with too much power I prefer the one with too much braking power.

Robert Mudd