wires

General discussion about the sport of hang gliding
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Tad Eareckson
Posts: 9149
Joined: 2010/11/25 03:48:55 UTC

wires

Post by Tad Eareckson »

Wills Wing

Sport 2 135, 155 and 175
Owner / Service Manual

Preflight Procedure

While pushing up on the leading edge between the nose and the crossbar junction, step on the bottom side wire with about 75 pounds of force. This is a rough field test of the structural security of the side wire loop, the control bar and the crossbar, and may reveal a major structural defect that could cause an in-flight failure in normal operation.

Image
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJV_t4L92pE
hang glider's right cable disconected on take off
yuvinb - 2007/04/27

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJV_t4L92pE


The right cable disconnected on takeoff on my second ever high altitude flight (Mount Barkan Lookout). It was replaced just four days before the incident (using a wrong nico). Good to be alive!
Milo X (snakedike) - 2011/04

Lost a flying friend years ago this way. Just replaced the side wires so he could fly more safely with his sons tandem. The shop goofed on the nico. Wing folded right after launch. He died, his son was okay. The manual on one of my gliders has me put a 75 pound side load on the side wires to make sure they're solid as part of the preflight. People watching think it's nuts but it's better to fail in preflight than in the air. Be safe.
http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=20991
coated vs uncoated wires
Red Howard - 2011/02/22 06:50:21 UTC
Utah

I do not recommend "stepping" on a cable (I assume you mean in mid-span) as part of a preflight. If your foot hits the ground with the cable underneath, or sand or rocks are trapped in your shoe treads, you could damage the cable that you are testing.
http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=13864
My new wing
Frank Peel - 2009/10/03 16:35:50 UTC
San Jose

Do not STOMP on your wires. It's a good way to kink something that isn't already broken. Instead, have someone show you how to do a proper preflight on that model glider.
Steve Davy
Posts: 1338
Joined: 2011/07/18 10:37:38 UTC

Re: wires

Post by Steve Davy »

I'm surprised that Red would post that.
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Tad Eareckson
Posts: 9149
Joined: 2010/11/25 03:48:55 UTC

Re: wires

Post by Tad Eareckson »

Yeah, me too. And disappointed. And he refused to engage me when I was battling on The Jack Show.

Seemed to be pretty good with some other issues but this game's gotta be 100.0 percent minimum and that's a deal breaker.
Steve Davy
Posts: 1338
Joined: 2011/07/18 10:37:38 UTC

Re: wires

Post by Steve Davy »

Well that didn't take long. Do you have a crystal ball ?

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=24544
Another 2mm Racing Wire Failure & Crash
miguel
Posts: 289
Joined: 2011/05/27 16:21:08 UTC

Re: wires

Post by miguel »

I think Red's advice is spot on. Indiscriminately stomping on a wire in the dirt or on rocks has the potential to damage the wire. it would prudent to learn the proper way to do it first.
Steve Davy
Posts: 1338
Joined: 2011/07/18 10:37:38 UTC

Re: wires

Post by Steve Davy »

We don't have any big sharp rocks at Funston so I have to bring my own. Once I have the big and very sharp rocks in place I proceed to grind my flying wires into them using a jumping and twisting motion. Should I not do this?
Zack C
Site Admin
Posts: 292
Joined: 2010/11/23 01:31:08 UTC

Re: wires

Post by Zack C »

miguel wrote:it would prudent to learn the proper way to do it first.
Miguel, by that do you mean the test Wills Wing describes? Or do you consider the Wills technique a bad idea and something else 'proper'?

Wills Wing's manuals explicitly state to push up on the leading edge when doing the test. Doing so keeps your foot and the wires well above the ground. I do this test with every preflight and my wires have never touched the ground in the process.

Zack
Steve Davy
Posts: 1338
Joined: 2011/07/18 10:37:38 UTC

Re: wires

Post by Steve Davy »

PM from me
Hi ********

Do you know if Joe load tested his flying wires in preflight?

Steve
Response
I never asked him but I would place the odds at 99.99:1 that he's never done this.
miguel
Posts: 289
Joined: 2011/05/27 16:21:08 UTC

Re: wires

Post by miguel »

Nobody: Good for you. If you need any good sharp rocks, I will get you some from McClure :mrgreen:

Zack: Please look again at what I wrote: it would prudent to learn the proper way to do it first.

A very simple unambiguous statement. There is nothing in the statement or implied by the statement relating to Wills's or any of the other makers procedures. I do hope this clears things up for you.
Zack C
Site Admin
Posts: 292
Joined: 2010/11/23 01:31:08 UTC

Re: wires

Post by Zack C »

miguel wrote:A very simple unambiguous statement.
I disagree. What is 'it'? The first thing in this thread is an excerpt from a Wills manual. This thread is about their described load test technique. And once you define 'it', what is the 'proper way' to do it? Thanks.

Zack
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