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