A aviation & planes forum. AviationBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » AviationBanter forum » rec.aviation newsgroups » Soaring
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Winch Experts wanted



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #112  
Old March 25th 04, 04:30 PM
Tony Verhulst
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


That beautiful Skylaunch III kit will cost close to $60,000 once you add
an engine, shipping, and the miscellaneous parts needed to complete it.
I doubt there are more than one or two clubs or commercial gliderports
in the US that could justify that kind of expenditure, given their
current levels of operation.



Unfortunately, our site is not suitable for winching, but if it were......

We did about 2000 aero tows last year - using a Pawnee, a C182 (since
replaced with another Pawnee), and a birddog. If we got a winch, we
could sell a Pawnee for around US$30,000 and save about US$10,000 PER
YEAR in maintenance (including engine reserve). If we did 1000 winch
launches at $10 per launch... Hmmmm, a pretty easy sell to the board of
directors, I think.

Tony V.

  #113  
Old March 25th 04, 04:38 PM
Bill Daniels
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Tony Verhulst" wrote in message
...

That beautiful Skylaunch III kit will cost close to $60,000 once you add
an engine, shipping, and the miscellaneous parts needed to complete it.
I doubt there are more than one or two clubs or commercial gliderports
in the US that could justify that kind of expenditure, given their
current levels of operation.



Unfortunately, our site is not suitable for winching, but if it were......

We did about 2000 aero tows last year - using a Pawnee, a C182 (since
replaced with another Pawnee), and a birddog. If we got a winch, we
could sell a Pawnee for around US$30,000 and save about US$10,000 PER
YEAR in maintenance (including engine reserve). If we did 1000 winch
launches at $10 per launch... Hmmmm, a pretty easy sell to the board of
directors, I think.

Tony V.


"I doubt there are more than one or two clubs or commercial gliderports
in the US that could justify that kind of expenditure, given their
current levels of operation."

Could it be that the "current level of operation" is due to high air tow
costs and that a winch operation would fix that?

Bill Daniels

  #114  
Old March 25th 04, 07:25 PM
Marc Ramsey
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Bill Daniels wrote:
"Tony Verhulst" wrote in message
We did about 2000 aero tows last year - using a Pawnee, a C182 (since
replaced with another Pawnee), and a birddog. If we got a winch, we
could sell a Pawnee for around US$30,000 and save about US$10,000 PER
YEAR in maintenance (including engine reserve). If we did 1000 winch
launches at $10 per launch... Hmmmm, a pretty easy sell to the board of
directors, I think.


Only if the board of directors could be convinced that a proper winch is
a viable alternative to aerotow. If your board of directors is anything
like the ones I've dealt with, if they have any winch launch experience,
it was 40 years ago using a homebuilt gliderport special. Perhaps you
could send them all Europe for a month or so.

"I doubt there are more than one or two clubs or commercial gliderports
in the US that could justify that kind of expenditure, given their
current levels of operation."

Could it be that the "current level of operation" is due to high air tow
costs and that a winch operation would fix that?


That is precisely my point...

Marc
  #115  
Old March 25th 04, 10:59 PM
Mark Zivley
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

To help get things started I have created three very basic polls.

#1 Number of drums

#2 Powerplant

#3 Overall configuration

Please go sign up for the group and then go to:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/winchdesign/polls

where you can vote on these three topics.

I've pushed the closing date on the polls out to 4/8/04 so we have
plenty of time to get people signed up, etc.

Mark

  #116  
Old March 26th 04, 02:32 AM
Mark Zivley
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I added LPG to the powerplant list and my doing that accidentally erased
the 6 votes which had already been cast for that question. If you voted
early on you may need to re-vote for that item. Sorry, about that. I
won't make any more changes.

Mark Zivley wrote:

To help get things started I have created three very basic polls.

#1 Number of drums

#2 Powerplant

#3 Overall configuration

Please go sign up for the group and then go to:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/winchdesign/polls

where you can vote on these three topics.

I've pushed the closing date on the polls out to 4/8/04 so we have
plenty of time to get people signed up, etc.

Mark


  #117  
Old April 3rd 04, 02:16 PM
BAToulson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In article , "John Giddy"
writes:

See if you can find a contact at "The Soaring Centre", Husbands
Bosworth in UK.
Some years ago they built their own 4-drum winch. I saw it a few years
ago, and it was a most impressive machine.


True, we do have a very good winch. It is four drum and was designed by
engineers and largely built by a retired member and his son who knew what they
were doing, but to a very high standard, and is not dissimilar to the van
Gelder (which has 6 drums I believe) .

Must be about 10 or 12 years old now and has given excellent service with the
occasional overhaul. It can launch anything we have including Duo Discus,
Janus, Puchacz and other two seaters with no problem but is on full throtle
with no wind.

Unfortunately the member (and his son) who built it are no longer available,
(son now flies Jumbo jets and father is not interested in another project of
this type). However, we would willingly show you round and our Winch Master
will no doubt tell you all about our "learning curve".

If you are new to winching I strongly recommend buying a professionally made
two drum winch, Supercat for example, as I guarantee that, without a clear
blueprint you will never get the engineering right first time and would waste
many frustrating hours, lots of cash, and end up with an unsatisfactory
product.

Barney
The Soaring Centre
UK
  #118  
Old April 5th 04, 06:52 AM
F.L. Whiteley
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"BAToulson" wrote in message
...
In article , "John

Giddy"
writes:

See if you can find a contact at "The Soaring Centre", Husbands
Bosworth in UK.
Some years ago they built their own 4-drum winch. I saw it a few years
ago, and it was a most impressive machine.


True, we do have a very good winch. It is four drum and was designed by
engineers and largely built by a retired member and his son who knew what

they
were doing, but to a very high standard, and is not dissimilar to the van
Gelder (which has 6 drums I believe) .

Must be about 10 or 12 years old now and has given excellent service with

the
occasional overhaul. It can launch anything we have including Duo Discus,
Janus, Puchacz and other two seaters with no problem but is on full

throtle
with no wind.

Unfortunately the member (and his son) who built it are no longer

available,
(son now flies Jumbo jets and father is not interested in another project

of
this type). However, we would willingly show you round and our Winch

Master
will no doubt tell you all about our "learning curve".

If you are new to winching I strongly recommend buying a professionally

made
two drum winch, Supercat for example, as I guarantee that, without a clear
blueprint you will never get the engineering right first time and would

waste
many frustrating hours, lots of cash, and end up with an unsatisfactory
product.

Barney
The Soaring Centre
UK

Post some detailed digital images to the winch design group at
yahoogroups.com please.

TIA,

Frank Whiteley


 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Experience with a pay-out winch? Gary Boggs Soaring 1 February 12th 04 09:12 AM
Winch design c1rrus Soaring 10 January 19th 04 01:18 PM
Winch Way Is Up !! Craig Freeman Soaring 45 November 6th 03 04:08 PM
using winch instead of aerotow goneill Soaring 5 August 27th 03 02:46 PM
Conspiracy Theory’s real Script: Slave CIA, FBI change the story jews wanted to tell the media Jean-Paul Roy Restoration 0 July 12th 03 12:55 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 03:55 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 AviationBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.