Komet Trailer - Failsafe in case strut(s) fail

Am Dienstag, 28. Juli 2015 18:43:31 UTC+2 schrieb :
Has anyone developed a brace or clamp that would support the clamshell if the structs failed or perhaps worse, if one failed? I'm quite nervous, considering the weight of the clamshell and the damage that could be done while the sailplane is in the cradle. I liked the simplicity of the Eberle trailer when I had my Libelle.

Thank, Rick

I once had a sudden strut failure on my trailer when I opened it. There was a hiss from one of the struts, and I needed my buddy to open it completely (and hold it open). I guess that if it fails in the open position, the top would come down quite fast.
On my trailer, I can close the top while the glider sits in its craddle; the ramp is just long enough.
The guy next to my trailer doesn't trust his struts (he just bought a used trailer) and blocks the top with two wooden rods (maybe 2.5 m long) against the ground.

Bert
Ventus cM TW

I recently had a strut "blowout" on a Cobra for an AS-H25. Fortunately, it was just after closing the trailer. Sounded like I had just stuck a knife into a tire.

The general failure mode, however, is gradual loss of pressure. They get to where they don't help lift and won't keep the top open. If one does fail catastrophically, you should have time to react and get yourself out of the way. But your plane, if anything is in the path, may not fair so well. And if you are looking for a brace to handle the catastrophic, it needs to be hella stout, as they will likely get several hundred pounds of force on them, and not necessarily a straight down load, if one goes a bit before the other.

Steve Leonard