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In trying to decide what had caused this problem, I remember trying to
fill my tank (Smiley Bags) with a water house and having a similar result, this helped me in my decision to fly home as I knew that these wings are built in halves and epoxyed together. Now I fly gliders because they have fewer things to go wrong with them. I am not a mechanic, engineer or technician, I just enjoy flying them and as John Sinclair says I have a slow learning curve. Needless to say, however, I don't want this to ever happen again. I called John Sinclair to discuss what caused it, how to avoid it again and what to do next. I had seen many people place water tanks on the roof of their motor homes and fill their tanks that way.....my tank was a closed system with no vents as I am sure many are. John informed me that that practice put too much of a head (pressure) on the water going into the wing and that even 5 lbs. pressure is too much. I had undoubtedly weakened the structure and that coupled with a probable air bubble entrained in the tank and the rapid (10 kt.) climb and altitude pressure reduction (17,000 ft.) all combined to cause the problem. The fix: 1) Fill one wing at a time. 2) Have a relief valve in the hose coming from the motor home, no more than 1 meter above the wing. 3) Place a vent in the water bag system in thE glider. |
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