Ground launch and the incremental vanishing of soaring

"Larry Pardue" wrote in message
...

"Eric Greenwell" wrote in message
...
Larry Pardue wrote:

I keep a reel in the back of my Ford Escape that has the 1500 foot
launch
rope on it. After a launch the rope is reeled in by an electric motor
on
the reel. Very tidy and easy. I average around 1,200 feet on the
very
long
ramp at Hobbs with a PW-5. Rarely do I have to take a relight but
when
I do
I feel like I can stand the 35 cents or so it costs to take another
one.
Those $40 contest tows are quite a shock for me.

I'll bet! Do you tow anything heavier than the PW5, and how does that
work out?


I used to tow my Mini-Nimbus with a 140 HP Ford Taurus wagon. I actually
got better tows with that setup, I think because of a more favorable CG
hook
position, but I never car-launched with much water because I was HP
limited.
Instructions to the tow driver were "floorboard it until I get off."
Launches with a 1,500 foot rope were usually to about 1,400 feet. I'm
sure
my present 200 HP vehicle would launch an 1,100 lb gross glider with no
problem but I would want a stronger rope than my present 1/4 inch dacron
(Wings and Wheels $270). I have launched a friend's Ventus a few times
with
the Escape and he gets real good launches. With the Mini-Nimbus and a
well
worn rope, I would get some rope breaks.

Larry Pardue 2I



Folks who do this know, ground launch is CHEAP FUN! With a good operation,
it's FAST too.

One way I have thought about for airports that share runways with power
traffic is to put the winch on a truck. When the glider is ready, drive the
truck mounted winch down the runway paying out the cable, quickly launch
glider and suck in the cable before it falls to the ground, then drive the
winch clear of the runway and back to the start point for the next launch.
That way, the winch, cable and glider are on the runway for only a couple of
minutes. It also reduces the wear on the cable significantly while keeping
the cable away from the runway edge lighting.

Bill Daniels