Dewey12

I am interested in learning about gliger launching piggyback from a powered plane. An experienced people reading this please comment. TKS [email protected]

Barrrick

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Hello friend in AZ. I do piggy-back carrying gliders, and getting to where I can do 'BOTH" planes, by myself.....
All I can offer at this moment is the equipment I use. Maybe this alone will help you.:
GLIDERS USED SO FAR : H-9 ASPIRE and the SPIRIT 100 ARF
(now preparing the SPIRIT ELITE ARF, and following Mike Lee's VERY clever advise on how to get the most out of the set-up)
CARRIER PLANE : the RIGHT FLYER 60, sold through HobbyPeople in California. The motor used is the Magnum .80 FourStroke using a three-blade GRAUPNER grey propeller in 12-8 size.
The "CRADLE" on which the Glider rides is sold by HorizonHobbies as a standard package for the Easy2 combo, and it costs about 18 dollars. This cradle MUST be reinforced. Mine, without any reinforcement, broke in two on the second flight, and destroyed both the airplanes which never got a chance to separate. Reinforcing the cradle is extremely important.
There are very subtle "things" that I found need to be learned about this activity. I can share, if you are ready.
I release the glider from the carrier airplanes, JUST at the limit of their visibility, and this is giving me double or maybe even more than double HEIGHT over a regular HiStart launch, and maybe even a Winch which I have never used.
Will continue this chat, if you are interested.
RICK

rogerflies

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I thought the purpose of a glider was to find lift and work it to get the glider higher. If you piggy-back the plane to the limit of visibility, you can only come down. That means you miss a chance to go up.

If you only want to have a long glide down, why not build a very light power plane, drive it up, and shut the engine off. Dynaflite's Butterfly comes to mind.

The glider flights I have enjoyed the most are the ones that go fifteen or twenty minutes without ever getting over the launch altitude, which is usually about 400-500 feet.

The great thing about model planes is there are so many ways to have fun.

Roger

DACeller

I too am interested in this glider launch.
Soo many ways to explore launching which each take
their own expertice. Increasing interest in our club with gliders as many have alone explored their fun without all the wonderful discussion and
experience; now I am rekindling with my interests.
Outstanding question involves launch with a
Hi-start from a foot operated device?? Anyone
know what/how this works?

Chillybee

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"If you piggy-back the plane to the limit of visibility, you can only come down. That means you miss a chance to go up. "

Rogerflies,

It seems to me that if you're twice the height of a hi-start, then you should have an even greater chance of hooking a thermal to go back up. However, being that high almost guarantees that you'll catch something, so that kind of takes away from some of the skill needed in the thermal hunting aspect. But I'll be the 1st one to get towed up that high any day of the week.

rogerflies

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daSeller

I've never heard of it being done, but here's how you could do it. Make a foot pedal operated device to hold the high start after you've stretched it out. Hook the chute to the plane, get everything ready, and step on the release mechanism.

You might have to put a "Y" in the line several feet from the chute. One leg would go to the release mechanism. The other (slightly longer) leg would go to the chute.

Sounds like it would work, but you'd sure want to be ready when you stepped on the pedal.

Roger

rogerflies

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Chillybee

Now that I think about it, it's sort of ironic for me to say what I did knowing that I have worked very hard designing and building winches to get the most altitude I can from a launch.

Sometimes you can get to an altitude where a number of small thermals have merged to form a large area of lift. You can go anywhere you want for a while without losing altitude. That's fun, too.

Roger

Dewey12

Some interesting posts, thanks. Perhaps I should have mentioned I suffer from extreme arthritus, piggy back would eliminate the walking for the chute and line . Altitude could be anything depending on your skill level. A piggy back ride to simulate a winch lift would be a nice goal. Oh to be young and nimble again. Keep em in the air. Dewey12

KJohn

Dewey12 I would also tempt you into using some type of power unit on the sailplane up front with maybe a folding prop. Possibly a small glow engine. Plenty of power for the weight, very small fuel tank. It would eliminate the need to have separate 'power plane/pilot' and 'sailplane/pilot'. It also sounds like a rewarding challenge.

If you opt for electric power it would be clean and quiet. Again a folding prop would be nice. I think there are a number of successful and very sharp looking designs existing. With the right airfoil to carry the extra weight (call it useful ballast) you might have a very rewarding challenge. And with electric power you can turn the motor on an off at will thus available for strategic use of the power, such as landing approaches.

Tall Paul

I've done this:
Specially modified Kadet Senior, for top or bottom carry.

FLYBOY

My Feedback: (11)

We also use a piggy back method. it is a Sr Falcon with a pad on top with bungees that hold the glider on. We fly the plane with rudder only. Works great. There is a rod that pulls back to relese the bungees which go over the wing, one on each side of the fuse. I wouldn't suggest trying to control both planes. That is a lot to handle. I know Barrick said he managed to do so, but that is asking for a lot of trouble if you loose sight of one. Pretty cool that he can do it though. Thats a lot of work.

Barrrick

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READING that you suffer from arthritis.... I too am severely limited in motion/movement by a dual disease of the spine. In addition I am not permitted to be IN THE SUN, for more than maybe 15 or twenty minutes at the time. THAT is the main reason I practice this piggy-backing event. The CLIMB takes no more than 3 or 4 minutes, the carrier plane is flown down by my "spotter" and I take refuge UNDER THE CLUB's SHELTER, from which I guide the GLIDER which normally yields flight of 20 or 30 minutes, as a rule. Of course I do this flying while seated, and out of the sun's UV rays. It seems to me that all of the above would suite you just fine. Setting up this package is almost too easy, and I recommend it strongly. If you need further details, photos, advice, etc.......send me an e-mail : [email protected]...it is not even too costly to do, since you probably have accesss to some highwing trainer type plane in the .60s size. The only cost would be for the CRADLE, which as I said before, retails for $18....plus some cents' worth of epoxy to re-inforce it. The rest is very VERY attainable.
RICK

Dewey12

YOU FLY OUT OF TEXAS, DO YOU KNOW LARRY SENGBUSH?

Barrrick

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No sir, I don't know the gentleman. I have not heard this name before either. Where in Texas does he fly ? I know almost everybody here in the Houston area, and quite a few in the Dallas area as well , and that goes back to the early 60s. Of course, getting older now, new waves of flyers have joined the sport by the thousands. I hope that your doing OK.RICK

Dewey12

Larry Serngbush flies with the Northern Texas soaring club (group), he has been flying sailplanes for 30 years or so. I see his picture on the web every so often when I search GOOGLE. Regards Dewey

airflow

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I'm also going to try carrying a Spirit Elite ARF with my Kadet Senior ARF using the Hangar 9 Glider Launch, and would like some info on the do's and don't's. Good thread so far, but would like some details about the H9 gear, flight problems, and I have concern about the Kadet Senior ARF wing structure - it isn't the world's strongest structure.

Barrrick

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***************



...........You are in PERFECT alignement with your proposed items : Kadet - H9cradle - Spirit......here are the details I think will be useful for you:
KADET : try to be using an FX.46 as a MINIMUM power plant..Set up a generous amount of available movement on the rudder. You will find that the AILERONS get blocked out when the glider is on top of the plane, and the rudder becomes the primary turn motivator.
CRADLE : both sides of the wooden cradle MUST be Epoxy re-inforced. I also added three vertical (icecream sticks) supports under the epoxy to further support the stresses....It would be wise to FIBERGLASS the center section of the Kadet wing, directly under where the cradle sits. The wing itself should not be a worry factor as there is not much stress while in flight.
GLIDER : nothing much to ad on this item other than I prefer to hold down the wings onto the cradle using #67 RUBBER BANDS available direct from SIG........these I prefer over the usual #64 because they do not mash down so hard on the glider wing but still retain a good "grip"...
OVERALL FLYING ADVICE : when towing up to altitude, coordinate the RUDDER movements on both the Kadet and the Glider, in other words, both the pilots must make the turns. You will find that the GLIDER takes over in stability, rather dilutes the aileron inputs of the carrier plane, which necessitates RUDDER INPUTS on both.
You are heading towards a SUCCESSFUL PROJECT.
RICK
p.s. if there are other glider pilots around, when they see YOUR success, you will be giving LIFTS all day long...!