'Canopy Wire Deflector Bars' - Past experience and current thinking

On Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 4:44:33 PM UTC-5, son_of_flubber wrote:
On Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 2:02:34 PM UTC-5, Mark628CA wrote:
does anybody have a viable design that will work with a modern sailplane?

Pure speculation.

For light gauge electric horse coral wires... Maybe a firmly mounted 'hook knife'mounted on a 12" whip to the fuselage just in front of the canopy might catch and cut wires (more often than not). Integrate it into an externally mounted Powerflarm antenna. Mount two. One on either side to get the sight blocking off center and gain redundancy (redundant antennas and cutter).

Why would you do that when there is technology that is demonstrated to work already in existence- and not ugly and dangerous to line crew also?
UH

On Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 5:20:43 PM UTC-5, wrote:

Why would you do that when there is technology that is demonstrated to work already in existence- and not ugly and dangerous to line crew also?
UH

Demonstrated to work? It's been demonstrated that only a few people feel that the potential benefits of the cage outweigh the immediate drawbacks. A device that practically no one adopts is not a successful engineering solution to a problem.

Say we mount something like the new external Flarm antenna on the nose just in front of the canopy and put a cutter on top. Something relatively cheap that works on practically any glider, that is integrated with something that you get a more immediate benefit from (aka Flarm). A wire cutting device that gets installed on a whole bunch of gliders will avert more injuries in total than a few cages (even if it were to work only half the time).

And sure of course, you'd want a slotted device that blocked the entry of ground crew fingers, a slot that lets a wire slide in and contact the blade. http://www.galls.com/photos/styles/KN208_500_1.JPG

As Jonathan pointed out 'wire strike kits' are used on helicopters. Lots of products and studies on the web. You'd not need something so big on a glider.

The wire cutter idea has been around for a long time
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wire_cutter_(jeep)

The wire cutters on helicopters are big and while sexy on a helicopter (give it a bad ass look) they would be nothing but drag inducers on gliders. Plus a helicopter operates down low in the dirt (we call it the money curve, as it is out of the HV safety zone). Helicopters need the wire cutters. Gliders are low when landing out and I think it cannot be stated too many times pilots that know of the wires often get distracted and forget the wires are there, so modify and drill into your head WIRES in any off field landing check list. I have been one of those pilots that knew the wires were there and almost hit them (while flying a helicopter).

I seem to remember some very good books by Tom Knauff about off field landings and avoiding wires.

Maybe one of the new data bases will map all the wires and we can upload the data base to our computers, Flarm or whatnots.



On Wednesday, December 9, 2015 at 11:14:21 AM UTC-8, son_of_flubber wrote:
On Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 5:20:43 PM UTC-5, wrote:

Why would you do that when there is technology that is demonstrated to work already in existence- and not ugly and dangerous to line crew also?
UH

Demonstrated to work? It's been demonstrated that only a few people feel that the potential benefits of the cage outweigh the immediate drawbacks. A device that practically no one adopts is not a successful engineering solution to a problem.

Say we mount something like the new external Flarm antenna on the nose just in front of the canopy and put a cutter on top. Something relatively cheap that works on practically any glider, that is integrated with something that you get a more immediate benefit from (aka Flarm). A wire cutting device that gets installed on a whole bunch of gliders will avert more injuries in total than a few cages (even if it were to work only half the time).

And sure of course, you'd want a slotted device that blocked the entry of ground crew fingers, a slot that lets a wire slide in and contact the blade. http://www.galls.com/photos/styles/KN208_500_1.JPG

As Jonathan pointed out 'wire strike kits' are used on helicopters. Lots of products and studies on the web. You'd not need something so big on a glider.

The wire cutter idea has been around for a long time
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wire_cutter_(jeep)

Gliders generally don't fly the same profile as helicopters.

I can see the benefit of all those externally mounted wire cutters/flarm
antennae - more drag! Since my glider won't be so equipped, I'll
realize an immediate benefit!

On 12/9/2015 12:14 PM, son_of_flubber wrote:
On Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 5:20:43 PM UTC-5, wrote:

Why would you do that when there is technology that is demonstrated to work already in existence- and not ugly and dangerous to line crew also?
UH
Demonstrated to work? It's been demonstrated that only a few people feel that the potential benefits of the cage outweigh the immediate drawbacks. A device that practically no one adopts is not a successful engineering solution to a problem.

Say we mount something like the new external Flarm antenna on the nose just in front of the canopy and put a cutter on top. Something relatively cheap that works on practically any glider, that is integrated with something that you get a more immediate benefit from (aka Flarm). A wire cutting device that gets installed on a whole bunch of gliders will avert more injuries in total than a few cages (even if it were to work only half the time).

And sure of course, you'd want a slotted device that blocked the entry of ground crew fingers, a slot that lets a wire slide in and contact the blade. http://www.galls.com/photos/styles/KN208_500_1.JPG

As Jonathan pointed out 'wire strike kits' are used on helicopters. Lots of products and studies on the web. You'd not need something so big on a glider.

The wire cutter idea has been around for a long time
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wire_cutter_(jeep)


--
Dan, 5J

On Wednesday, December 9, 2015 at 4:33:54 PM UTC-5, Dan Marotta wrote:

I can see the benefit of all those externally mounted wire
cutters/flarm antennae - more drag!* Since my glider won't be so
equipped, I'll realize an immediate benefit!

Less drag and more Adventure!

'Zactly!

On 12/9/2015 2:53 PM, son_of_flubber wrote:
On Wednesday, December 9, 2015 at 4:33:54 PM UTC-5, Dan Marotta wrote:

I can see the benefit of all those externally mounted wire
cutters/flarm antennae - more drag! Since my glider won't be so
equipped, I'll realize an immediate benefit!
Less drag and more Adventure!

--
Dan, 5J

On Wednesday, December 9, 2015 at 2:14:21 PM UTC-5, son_of_flubber wrote:
On Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 5:20:43 PM UTC-5, wrote:

Why would you do that when there is technology that is demonstrated to work already in existence- and not ugly and dangerous to line crew also?
UH

Demonstrated to work? It's been demonstrated that only a few people feel that the potential benefits of the cage outweigh the immediate drawbacks. A device that practically no one adopts is not a successful engineering solution to a problem.

Say we mount something like the new external Flarm antenna on the nose just in front of the canopy and put a cutter on top. Something relatively cheap that works on practically any glider, that is integrated with something that you get a more immediate benefit from (aka Flarm). A wire cutting device that gets installed on a whole bunch of gliders will avert more injuries in total than a few cages (even if it were to work only half the time).

And sure of course, you'd want a slotted device that blocked the entry of ground crew fingers, a slot that lets a wire slide in and contact the blade. http://www.galls.com/photos/styles/KN208_500_1.JPG

As Jonathan pointed out 'wire strike kits' are used on helicopters. Lots of products and studies on the web. You'd not need something so big on a glider.

The wire cutter idea has been around for a long time
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wire_cutter_(jeep)

You be the first- report back.
I'd stick with the proven solution if I were to do it.
UH

I second Hank on this. If you're worried about a power line in the grill while gliding, a canopy cage is the answer. Unfortunately, 99.999% of the time it seems like overkill.

On Wednesday, December 9, 2015 at 9:09:48 PM UTC-5, Sean Fidler wrote:
If you're worried about a power line in the grill while gliding, a canopy cage is the answer.

Power line?? Are you saying that a canopy cage offers some small measure of protection (any protection at all) from the kind of wire strung between telephone poles (telephone wire, house power, coax cable)?

I was talking about the bare 12 gauge wires strung between fiberglass rods maybe 1 meter above the ground.

On Thursday, December 10, 2015 at 2:16:18 PM UTC-5, son_of_flubber wrote:
On Wednesday, December 9, 2015 at 9:09:48 PM UTC-5, Sean Fidler wrote:
If you're worried about a power line in the grill while gliding, a canopy cage is the answer.

Power line?? Are you saying that a canopy cage offers some small measure of protection (any protection at all) from the kind of wire strung between telephone poles (telephone wire, house power, coax cable)?

I was talking about the bare 12 gauge wires strung between fiberglass rods maybe 1 meter above the ground.

How about the wire strung across the field from a tree to the shed in the other corner?.
Fences are only one part of wire hazards.
UH