I won't receive my copy of "Soaring" until some weeks from now, so I
don't know exactly what's in it, and can merely make an educated guess
based on the comments in this thread, but:

1) It eliminates the danger of breaking the fin mounted probe while
installing/removing the tail dolly. On the original ASW-19 and -20, there is a fuselage mounted TE probe.
Every single one I know has been bent or broken very soon after
delivery, and repeatedly repaired or changed. One I made myself has
been bent during the first half hour after mounting, while I was away
preparing my navigation. So much for the breaking risk. People just
love to step over a fuselage instead of going around.

2) Of course, these ASW probes are placed some distance behind the
wing. You could avoid the breaking problem by placing the probe above
the wing, but I remember distinctly some articles by different TE probe
designers warning against this placement because this would influence
the results negatively, due to the underpressure over the wing. If
Dick's findings disprove this belief, he will have rendered us glider
pilots another great service.


--
stephanevdv
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