Improved Towhook from Aircraft Spruce

wrote:
Long time readers of this news group will remeber posting from me on
the subject of Tost tow hooks verses all the others. My opinion is
tilll the same, nothing compairs to a Tost tow hook either on the
glider or on the tow plane, for safety and reliability.

Hi Robert,

Actually I did do a search of the message archives before posting and
didn't see anything about problems with a Schreder tow hook. Yes, I saw
your comments, but they were directed at the Schweizer hook.


As mentioned
in other replys to this subject the other tow hooks have have an
increase in the force needed to actuate the release that is portional
to the tension on the tow line.

Interesting. I have flown several different Schreder gliders and never
had a problem with that.


This is not good. None of the other
tow hooks have a schedule of maintaince, none of the others lock over
center and hold the tow ring in a position for easy and clean release
of the tow rope. The Schweizer and Schreader style hooks just can not
compaire to a Tost.

What are the failure modes of the Schreder nose hook (not the Schweizer
or Applebay hook)? How does the failure rate of the Schreder hook
compare to the Tost hook? I think there are quite a few Schreder pilots
out there now who would be keenly interested in knowing about this.



One reason you do not see these other tow releases retrofitted to a
lot of other gliders is that except for the Schweizer gliders, they
are not legal to use in Type Certificated gliders. For a Type
Certificated glider that was originally fitted with a Tost hook, to
have the other sype hook installed would require a fair ammount of
paperwork. A knowlegable FAA inspector would not accept only a form
337 for this change.

Of course. Sorry if you thought I meant otherwise.

Regards,

-Doug