80 hp Rotax Falke as Tug

I would appreciate info from anyone who has experience with aerotow
with this AC (80hp fixed pitch rotax enginded falke)

Thanks and regards

John Spargo

anything less than 180HP around here is not a good tug.. 180HP is marginal
at best.
But then again the local Cessna 182 (235HP) is marginal.
We operate at 2830MSL in summer temps well over 100F

Depends on what you are towing... ultra lights? two seat training gliders?
ballasted racers?
BT

wrote in message
ups.com...
I would appreciate info from anyone who has experience with aerotow
with this AC (80hp fixed pitch rotax enginded falke)

Thanks and regards

John Spargo

We use a Falke with Rotax 80 hp engine here in Wesel / Germany.
We tow in Wesel i.e ASW19B / LS4 / St.Libelle / Janus C / ASK21.
I am just a glider pilot, but have been pulled up by the Falke several
times.

The best one can say is, it works and it is cheap. But it is really no
fun. I would always prefer a 180hp tug like Remo DR300 flying with
110-120 km/h.

The Falke is flying before the glider takes off.
There is no extra speed, the tugplane flies with about 90-95 km/h, so
if the Falke comes into strong thermal and is lifted, you have no extra
speed to pull up and follow, so you will feel the prop blast.
If he leaves the thermal you will get above him. If you push to follow,
be sure not to overtake him.
If you are circling while tugging be sure you are on the outerside of
the circlediameter, because the Falke is flying with 90 km/h and you
are on the inner side, you will get to slow.
If you have no wind, high temperature, a heavy glider (Twin I) or the
ground is wet and soft, you should better leave it.

If you have a glider that likes to drop a wing, you have disadvantage
because accelaration is very poor and the time when your wing holder
has to finish his run and the time where your rudders are working can
be very long.

Yes it works, but be carefull.

Greetings
Ruediger


schrieb:

I would appreciate info from anyone who has experience with aerotow
with this AC (80hp fixed pitch rotax enginded falke)

Thanks and regards

John Spargo

I have had several tows behind Lasham's Rotax engined
Falke. While it is great for towing slow vintage vintage
gliders, it is a bit slow for most modern two-seaters.
Even K13s feel a bit out of control when being towed
by one. However the rate of climb is actually quite
good.

In my opinion the best tug is a 235hp Piper Pawnee,
which has the best combination of power for short take
offs and climb rate at speeds appropriate for most
glider types.

Derek Copeland


At 16:30 25 December 2005, wrote:
I would appreciate info from anyone who has experience
with aerotow
with this AC (80hp fixed pitch rotax enginded falke)

Thanks and regards

John Spargo

Climb rate,from my point of view is poor.
We had an aerobatic workshop here in Wesel (30mMSL), tows were made up
to 1500m MSL. The last few hunderd meters the ASK21 with two pilots we
were pulled up with 0.7m/s. It was in october so moderate Temperature.
Our falke has a variable pitch prop.
Greetings
Ruediger