Dave Nadler wrote on 3/17/2021 5:56 AM:
On 3/16/2021 9:34 PM, Eric Greenwell wrote:
I don't know anything about the accident, but often wonder if a steerable tail wheel would
reduce the number ground loops while towing. Having a steerable tail wheel on my ASH26E
really made an impression on me - no more being a passenger on a ballistic aircraft.

More important for directional control is the weight on the tail skid/wheel. A tailwheel
(steerable or fixed) doesn't help much
without enough weight in back, which cannot be easily accomplished without the gear swinging
well forward and other design considerations.

Most important is to practice grabbing that release handle,
and expect to have to do it during launch. I lost count of how
many times I had to pull the plug, usually because of poor
tug acceleration and/or poor wing-run. These days when taking a
tow in a motorglider, I take off wing down (on the tip wheel)
to avoid the wing-drop excitement.

Hope that helps!
Best Regards, Dave

You are right about the weight, which is substantial (by design) on the ASH26E, but some
Schempp-Hirth and DG models have much less, leading to control problems in a cross-wind, and
especially when power is applied during a self-launch.

Wing runner or wing down, my glider has sufficient steering that it's irrelevant to safety
which is used, and I don't want to discourage people trying to be helpful :^) But, a good wing
runner does make it a bit easier on the wing when it's a rough field, especially with ballast.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1