Ultra Light Towing

On Fri, 06 Feb 2004 20:57:58 +0100, Stefan
wrote:


I've flown a Janus behind a G3-Mirage. It takes definitely longer to get
off the ground, but once airborne, the climb rate is nearly that of an
"ordinary" plane. The whole tow takes a bit longer, but due to the much
lower cost of the UL, it's still much cheaper.

I'd say it works fine from a paved runway or from a long grass runway.
Not recommended from short runways or with a tailwind, especially if the
rope break options are difficult or if there are obstacles at the end of
the runway.

I heard from a reliable source that aerotow tests with a single-seater
(iirc Ventus) behind an Impule 100 with a 100 hp Rotax 912S showed a
climb rate of more than 1.000 fpm... (!). This might be the first
ultralight that is a full replacement for a Remorqeur, even on
less-than-perfect conditions.

It helps significantly if the tow plane is aerodynamically clean.
The G3 Mirage and Mattin Wezel's Condor are NOT clean.



Bye
Andreas