Motorglider Tug

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Dans l'article GKDkd.92846$bk1.22713@fed1read05, "BTIZ"
a écrit :


Most motor gliders of the "Katana Extreme" variety do not have enough
"oomph" (HPower) to get a regular glider into the air. You may find that
some have done duty to tow ultralights aloft. Check out the USHGA web pages.

Most motorgliders (older types) do not have enough HP to get them selves
into the air on hot high days here in the mid-west. Although I do understand
that the DG808B does very well, but the Grob109 is very anemic. I've read
reports that the older DG400 was "doable" at a very poor climb rate.

BT

"Ray Lovinggood" wrote in message
...
Who is using a motorglider as a tug? Please send details!

Your location. Country. Field surface, length, elevation,
temperatures.

What type of tug?

What gliders towed?

Good, bad, and ugly of using the motorglider.

Who insures? Costello, here in America, will not insure
a motorglider for towing.

Thanks,
Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA





My club uses since several years a Super Dimona with a 115 hp turbo charged
engine. We tow all gliders with it, including an ASH25 turbo (engine
unmounted) and a Nimbus 3 which is always ballasted, although sometimes only
lightly. Only when the waiting line becomes long, we also use our second
tug, a Rallye with 180 HP. Towing times are similar with both tugs, not cost
of course, hence the exceptionnal use of the Rallye, since the pilot anyway
pays the same for both.

Good things: nearly same performance as the Rallye for a lower cost. May be
used as a motorglider for itself when not towing, although this is very
rare. May be flown with just a glider licence, although not for towing.
No corrosion problems unlike the Rallye. Lower noise than most conventional
tow planes, this helped to buy it as there are public subventions for the
reductions of noise. Airbrakes, partial water cooling and closable air
cooling intakes help fast descent for minimizing tow time.

Bad things: the reliability of the engine is lower than expected. Maybe our
plane is an exception, but we had a lot of minor and major engine failures,
including a crack in the main engine body, which implied replacement of the
engine. Full power with maximum turbo pressure is limited to 5 minutes, this
doesn't hurt as most tows are shorter than that.

Runway 1000m, altitude 370 ft, temperature 20-35°C, reached 40°C in August
2003. Prevailing winds are crosswinds.