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Chris Rollings wrote:
Third test: Terrier Tow-Plane, K 8b on C of G hook. I pitched the glider about 25 degrees nose up. The glider continued to pitch up fairly rapidly (as at the start of a winch launch) and substantial forward movement of the stick only slightly slowed the rate of pitch. The glider achieved about 45 degrees nose up, speed increased rapidly from 55 knots to about 75 knots and the glider was pulled back towards level flight (again as at the top of a winch launch). I released at that point. The entire sequence of events occupied a VERY short period of time (subsequently measured as 2 - 3 seconds). The Tow Pilot reported a marked deceleration and start of pitching down which he attempted to contain by moving the stick back; this was followed immediately by a very rapid pitch down accompanied by significant negative “G?. The tow-plane finished up about 70 degrees nose down and took about 400 feet to recover to level flight. We both found the experience alarming, even undertaken deliberately at 4000 feet. Our conclusion was that the combination of the initial pitch down and the upward deflection of the elevator caused the horizontal stabilizer/elevator combination to stall and the abrupt removal of the down-force it provided caused the subsequent very rapid pitch-down and negative “G?. I was the pilot of a tug involved in exactly the scenario described by Chris above. The culprit was a K6 using a belly hook, and the only reason I am here to tell the tale is that it occurred at 400ft. It was actually a dual tow with the K6 on the short rope and a K13 on the long rope in low-tow position. The K6 had recovered from some earlier excursions, but all seemed to be going well before it happened. The "up-ending" was instantaneous, there was no way to have reached any type of release before the rope broke, and in any case I can assure you that when descending vertically on full throttle at 400ft, your first reaction it to close the throttle. Our CFI in the K13 said he hadn't seen the underside of a PA18 in plan form quite so close before. In those days we used to store spare ropes and things behind the rear seat of the PA18, and my situation was not improved by the whole lot coming forward and landing on my head and all over the cockpit. A good friend of mine later died towing a K6 with a PA18, which incident quite probably was the trigger for Chris' investigations. |
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