Winch - Question/Guidance
08-21-2002, 08:48 PM
#1
Winch - Question/Guidance
Thanks to everybody who has educated me and made me realize that launching a 130" span sailplane with a heavy duty Hi-Start will be difficult (and a chore) .... at best. As I consider spending a lot of $$$ on a winch, I am wondering if a winch can also be used with other (smaller) sailplanes and gliders. Can 1.5 M, 2 M, or even Hand Launch gliders, be launched via a winch (by adjusting/controlling the power with the pedal) ? ? Also, the 'Little Big Winch' appears to be a quality item. Anyone have any experience with this item. Thanks again. Bob
08-22-2002, 12:22 AM
#2
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Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Punta Gorda, FL
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Winch - Question/Guidance
The Little Big Winch will launch a 4 or 5 pound sailplane but it will be marginal for a 7 pound sailplane with an 18 ounce per square foot wing loading even with a wind to help. The kind of high wing loading scale sailplane you have in mind is not the kind thing to learn to launch with. The DG1000 will be 40 to 50% faster than the kind of sailplane you should be starting with.
In any case, you will need a long shaft Ford starter motor based winch for a 7 pound, 18 ounce wing loading model. Such a model will launch very fast and that's a risky situation to learn with.
You really need to visit a Charles River R/C sailplane flying session or two in order to see how various sailplanes launch and get a better feel for the situation and how your reflexes and flying skill measures up to what you want to do. There you will see that there are advantages to flying with a group. Only one winch is needed for the group and a powerful winch is versitile enough to launch almost any size model. People are helpful and sometimes the safest thing to do is let experienced people team up for difficult operations. Charles River R/C has some of the most skilled and knowledgable people in the country. It will be of far more value to you than all these exchanges on forums. See:
http://www.charlesriverrc.org/
In any case, you will need a long shaft Ford starter motor based winch for a 7 pound, 18 ounce wing loading model. Such a model will launch very fast and that's a risky situation to learn with.
You really need to visit a Charles River R/C sailplane flying session or two in order to see how various sailplanes launch and get a better feel for the situation and how your reflexes and flying skill measures up to what you want to do. There you will see that there are advantages to flying with a group. Only one winch is needed for the group and a powerful winch is versitile enough to launch almost any size model. People are helpful and sometimes the safest thing to do is let experienced people team up for difficult operations. Charles River R/C has some of the most skilled and knowledgable people in the country. It will be of far more value to you than all these exchanges on forums. See:
http://www.charlesriverrc.org/
