Auto-Towing - why is this not more popular?

On Tuesday, October 6, 2015 at 3:37:30 PM UTC-6, Waveguru wrote:
the tow car will have to hit nearly 100mph.

I guess you didn't bother to watch the videos, eh Bill? We launched many glass ships to thousands of feet.

Boggs

Yeah, I watched your video.

Out in the prairies, trees and power lines
are less prevalent than center pivot
irrigators and barbed wire fences. The
neighboring farmers might let us put in
gates to run the winch line another 3000'
+, but I'm wondering if we could mount
high pulleys at the fence lines to avoid
rubbing against fence posts etc.

If we could get a drone with PowerFLARM
to pull the line back, life would be really
good except for the pipeline patrol guy.

We figured the truck speed as stall speed plus 10 or 15 minus the wind speed. At the Alvord we had to add five or 10 for density altitude. I don't think we ever went more than 75mph, usually 60-65 We never launched any ships with water. The slower you can go and still get the job done the better. It's really important for there to be good three way communication between pilot, driver, and winch operator. Having the cable pressure set so that in lift the glider just climbs faster and in sink it doesn't pay out at all takes out the wild fluctuations in airspeed we used to get with the solid wire auto tow. It's much safer and the cable rarely breaks. Only when you get a nick in it some how.

Boggs

On Tuesday, October 6, 2015 at 8:45:05 PM UTC-6, George Haeh wrote:
Out in the prairies, trees and power lines
are less prevalent than center pivot
irrigators and barbed wire fences. The
neighboring farmers might let us put in
gates to run the winch line another 3000'
+, but I'm wondering if we could mount
high pulleys at the fence lines to avoid
rubbing against fence posts etc.

If we could get a drone with PowerFLARM
to pull the line back, life would be really
good except for the pipeline patrol guy.

Would take a bit more time to retrieve the rope, but an wheel rim on a shaft on top of a fence topping frame would probably work if done properly, though a gate would be better and much more desireable. Retrieve drivers would have to be able to drive in a straight line. Not too hard on a flat surface.

There was a club that reportedly used a wheel rim of some sort on a post to guide the rope around a runway dogleg during the start of the launch. It may have been in the UK.

Frank Whiteley