RE: Phencepost
I've used a tether system for years and it works great- unless you midair with Captain America!!! The system I use ties the engine (using braided steel cable) to the wing with an elastic shock cord in between. Most times, if the engine mount breaks, the steel cable retains it so you don't have to find it in the weeds. And if the wing is sheared off, it "deploys" like a parachute, with the fuse hanging by the shock cord, and the whole thing dangles to earth, avoiding the dreaded "lawn dart." It's worked great several times. Unfortunately the last HoH was not one of them, as the impact was so violent that the part where the engine retaining cable was attached was broken clean off, and the engine was ejected into the weeds, where it presumably still resides. For all the times that tether system has AVOIDED such an outcome, though, it's still been worth it as it has saved me an engine search several times.