Releases

[Steve Davy]

sanderdelta

The weaklink is made of alluminium.

I wonder what he uses to catch fish. I'm guessing that it would be fishing line.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.chgpa.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3600
Weak link question

Jim Rooney - 2008/11/25 20:49:28 UTC

One criteria is of course that they are recognizable... to me... not you.
But that's not it. They are kept because they have a huge track record. That's really hard to argue with.
I've yet to hear anyone successfully do so.

Plastic links...
"Manufactured by Bob" doesn't meet my criteria.
They are not manufactured to tolerances. They're not "manufactured" at all... They are a material that some guy found consistent enough to feel comfortable about. He cuts holes and tests, but it's still Bob in his backyard. He doesn't make the plastic, so he has no control over the quality of it.
That said, I'd feel a whole lot better about these than Tad's stuff.

[Tad Eareckson]

Nice video of an AT primary from the front end:

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

Maarten Spoek - 2009/09/22

Images of aerotowing hang gliders in the Netherlands (Stadskanaal). Flying club Daidalos. WW Sport2 pilot is me (Maarten Spoek) and tow pilot on a Dragonfly is Rinus In het Groen.

Tend not to get many of these.

52°59'47.54" N 007°01'23.61" E - Vliegveld Stadskanaal

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I think he's signaling that all the slack's out of the towline and he's ready to roll.

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Novice level glider, needs a fin for yaw stability but doesn't need an upper bridle connection to trim for certified pitch control range and is OK with an easily reachable release 'cause he'll be able to maintain adequate control with the other hand while dealing with a lockout emergency.

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Taking off to the NE with a latish afternoon sun. Air seems to be glass or close.

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Kinda fun to watch the control linkage while we're correcting for roll. The projection between the wing and the horizontal stabilizer is undoubtedly the camera mount from which we got the first two frames. Glider's visible and in good position just above the horizon.

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Wave-off.

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Glider off, engine idled, stick over for spiral descent.

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Aft camera mount again becoming visible.

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Jump to top:
http://www.kitestrings.org/post11967.html#p11967

[Tad Eareckson]

Bit of a bum-out for Christmas morning.

I was doing some amendment/revision work on my scope article, needed to look up some terminology regarding hardware, tried to go to my Annapolis Performance Sailing site, found that they'd gone totally and permanently extinct - as announced 2020/05/21. A bug victim at the end.

Hang gliders are essentially repurposed sailboats - use all the same engineering, materials, hardware for everything - and not too long after the first August weekend Currituck stop of the 1991 Dragonfly promo tour I started looking for hardware around which I could build my own - BETTER - AT release system.

Didn't take me very long to find my way into APS and first lay eyes on the Wichard 2673 spinnaker shackle - about a half hour after Wallaby had made the connection themselves. It was beautiful and I was captivated.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aerotowrelease/8305428629/


I DID, however, IMMEDIATELY have concerns about the adverse taper and notch issue - which would be at least a major deal breaker in the 2005/01/09 Bobby/Robin lockout fatality - but I played with it extensively and concluded it would be a manageable problem until either something better came along or I could figure something better out.

I imagine those douchebags were also aware of the issue but if they haven't killed anybody after a weekend or two it becomes Industry Standard. And way more so if they DO kill somebody in the first or second weekend. And I'm totally serious about that. Remember the 1990/07/05 Birrenator...



...fatality?

But anyway... After Highland Aerosports opened up in the spring of '99 I practically lived at APS playing with hardware, learning about cordage and splicing, building my load testers. Pretty much everything you're seeing in my bench shot equipment photos came out of that place.

But as we all now know there was no way in hell The Industry was ever gonna tolerate any innovation that didn't already have an extremely long track record - along with any innovator of anything - and I don't think I ever set foot in the place after the end of the 2008 season and my career.

But... The APS I had known had gone extinct anyway - I just found out - at least a fair bit before the plague hit our shores. They'd gone entirely out of the Performance Sailing business and entirely into the water-centric apparel / tourist clothing business - and had really pissed off their original clientele base.

Heavy wind and rain with very warm temperatures most of yesterday and into the night. Cold, overcast, clearing but with a few snowflakes one has to look hard to see coming down. Hope to get another shot at the waning Conjunction three hours from now.

[Steve Davy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH2qfFDHaJU

[Tad Eareckson]

This is another classic Woiwode "pilot" induced lockout incident.

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And for the purpose of the exercise it's a static/fixed line surface tow. Aero has absolutely nothing to do with anything - save for the ease with which the driver fixed whatever was going on back there. Comments are the usual degree of clueless. Astoundingly great video - needs a stills project.
---
2021/01/12 14:50:00 UTC

Stills project up at:
http://www.kitestrings.org/post12198.html#p12198

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=37044
Russian Mouth Release

Harrythehappyhangie - 2021/05/05 04:19:19 UTC

Hi all,

Can anyone give me the contact details for the manufacturer of the Russian Mouth Release please. Thanks

Red Howard - 2021/05/05 14:44:23 UTC

Harry,

In the past, mouth controls (mostly used for throttle, on a motor unit) have had a disastrous history of accidents. The pilot outcomes were appalling, and worse. If the item you want will be in the mouth at launch, I would not endorse that device, unless it was very similar to a football player's mouth-guard.

Some device that is activated by driving a breath into a small rubber tube should be safer that any semi-hard object in the mouth, unless that object is similar to a mouth-guard. I would encourage any reduction in risks, when flying.

My US$.02 worth . . .

Dan DeWeese - 2021/05/06 15:25:47 UTC

the ozreport links to back issues mentioning it are broken.
Post back here if you find it as I'm interested too.

dew98765 - 2021/05/06 19:28:16 UTC

Is this the item that you are asking about?
http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=34505
Russian Mouth Release For Sale

Col Rushton - 2021/05/06 21:22:07 UTC

At the Dalby Big Air aero-tow comp 2 weeks ago I saw a few different bridle set ups and releases. 95% were Pro-tow setups with barrel releases, a least one Birren Link-knife release and one Mouth release, both using a pro-tow bridle set-up.
Talking to Michael about his mouth release, he was very happy after 5 years with his set-up, however he was wanting to buy a new one too.
There are many issues to consider when thinking about your towing set-up but being able to release while still holding on, trying to control a worsening situation is a great plus.
My mate thought if a HG manufacturer would sell a mouth release perhaps their use may increase?
Incorporating some of Reds suggestions could be good.
Hope you find your Russian Harry

Harrythehappyhangie - 2021/05/05 04:19:19 UTC

Hi all,

"All" being everyone on The Jack Show - the worlds largest local coffee shop. The only people worth talking to - thanks, of course, to the quality control measures your local coffee shop owner works so tirelessly to maintain.

Can anyone give me the contact details for the manufacturer of the Russian Mouth Release please. Thanks

All the reputable towing operations and schools have them readily available - Wallaby, Wilotree, Florida Ridge, Lockout, Kitty Hawk, Blue Sky, Ridgely, Morningside, Cloud 9, Hang Glide Chicago... But what's wrong with the easily reachable job you're using now? If you're so happy as things are why would you be the least bit interested?

Red Howard - 2021/05/05 14:44:23 UTC

Red's about to give us the benefit of his boundless wisdom. This should be all you'll ever need to know on the issue. ANY issue for that matter.

In the past, mouth controls (mostly used for throttle, on a motor unit) have had a disastrous history of accidents.

None of which has actually been documented anywhere. But anything that oozes forth out of any of Red's orifices can be safely taken to the bank.

The pilot outcomes were appalling, and worse.

Yeah, ya wanna be staying with the simple tried and true stuff. Can one even IMAGINE the carnage that might have resulted if one of these assholes:


http://ozreport.com/pub/images/fingerlakesaccident2.jpg
http://ozreport.com/pub/images/fingerlakesaccident3.jpg


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had slammed in with his teeth still clamped onto one of those Kaluzhin pieces o' shit?

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If the item you want will be in the mouth at launch...

Well here's a thought... Leave it dangling somewhere within easy reach at launch. Then when you get into a lockout situation at a safe interval after launch you can easily reach it, engage it in your mouth, give it a firm bite, clear it, execute a perfectly timed landing flare. But I really have no idea how a scenario like that could occur 'cause an appropriate weak link with a finished length of 1.5 inches or less will always break before you can get into too much trouble.

I would not endorse that device, unless it was very similar to a football player's mouth-guard.

And don't ever even THINK of using any equipment or following any procedure not endorsed by Red Howard 'cause he's the world's foremost authority on anything and everything hang gliding. Can we even begin to imagine how many pilots would've died due to the failures of work hardened sidewires if people had ignored Red and adhered to the preflight procedures in their Wills Wing owners manuals? One shudders to think.

Some device that is activated by driving a breath into a small rubber tube should be safer that any semi-hard object in the mouth, unless that object is similar to a mouth-guard.

- But Red has always been much to busy warning people of the dangers of existing tow equipment to produce any sane alternatives himself.

- Sure thing, Red. The Industry pin benders are gonna engineer a release in which a driven BREATH is gonna be able to safely blow four to six hundred pounds of towline tension. I'll start holding mine right now in preparation for the day that happens.

I would encourage any reduction in risks, when flying.

So you'd be OK with me putting a gun to the back of your head and pulling the trigger?

My US$.02 worth . . .

Any thoughts on the 2021/05/08 Federico Baratto unhooked launch fatality? Just kidding, you've been FAR too engaged in warning people about the insane dangers of the Kaluzhin release to deal with any ACTUAL issues.

Dan DeWeese - 2021/05/06 15:25:47 UTC

the ozreport links to back issues mentioning it are broken.

The Davis Show itself was broken before it ever started. This is what happens when you get total dickheads it total control of communications, standards, operations.

Post back here if you find it as I'm interested too.

People have been INTERESTED since the beginning of time. So any thoughts on why the Russians and Eastern Europeans have been USING these releases since the beginning of time - with ZERO documented issues - while they're virtually nonexistent in the West?

dew98765 - 2021/05/06 19:28:16 UTC

Is this the item that you are asking about?
http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=34505
Russian Mouth Release For Sale

Yep. 'Cept Dave got ignored and pissed all over in his selfless efforts to help get these into circulation. Last active:
- 2018/02/14 11:53:35 UTC - The Jack Show
- 2017/06/18 04:05:36 UTC - Kite Strings

So very depressing.

Col Rushton - 2021/05/06 21:22:07 UTC

At the Dalby Big Air aero-tow comp 2 weeks ago I saw a few different bridle set ups and releases.

Why do you think? The hot gliders all looked pretty close to identical, wouldn't one expect the towing equipment to all be the same after decades of positive evolution? The way we see things with sailplanes?

95% were Pro-tow setups with barrel releases...

And no mention of differences - so we know they were all bent pin.

...a least one Birren Link-knife release and one Mouth release, both using a pro-tow bridle set-up.

It's totally beyond me why anyone would use a Kaluzhin after Peter Birren solved all of our tow issues for us.

Talking to Michael about his mouth release, he was very happy after 5 years with his set-up...

Guess his smile must've been pretty hard to look at after all those launch face plants with all that metal between his teeth.

...however he was wanting to buy a new one too.

Any chance you could get him over there on The Jack Show to tell Red to go fuck himself?

There are many issues to consider when thinking about your towing set-up but being able to release while still holding on, trying to control a worsening situation is a great plus.

Ya think? Shouldn't we kill a few more Jeff Bohls to make absolutely sure?

My mate thought if a HG manufacturer would sell a mouth release perhaps their use may increase?

If the fuckin' HG manufacturers weren't all useless pieces o' shit they'd ship ALL of their gliders with bulletproof built-in release systems.

Incorporating some of Reds suggestions could be good.

Could be - if he weren't totally and permanently full o' shit.

Hope you find your Russian Harry

Hope there's enough left of the sport by the time you get it to be able to use it.

Still no comment anywhere on that unimaginably horrifying thousand foot plummet two days ago. And I'm supposed to be the sport's most callous sociopath ever.