Releases

General discussion about the sport of hang gliding
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Tad Eareckson
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Re: Releases

Post by Tad Eareckson »

Got this from Aleksey early yesterday (2015/12/12 09:42:41 UTC):
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The mouth release for towing of the hang gliders

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The release was designed in Kharkov Aviation Institute (KhAI) (Ukraine) and currently produced in KhAI hang gliding club.
The Mouth release is purposed for the towing with significant tug force, e.g. ground towing.
One of the key features of this type of release is using of the low friction bushings and spacers for movable parts so there is no direct contact between side plastines and hook and lever, but small gap about 0.1-0.2 mm. Such design provides the ability to maintain all functions even without grease and taking into account very possible dust and sand. The release could be cleaned easily.

Used materials:
1. For side plastines, mouth peg and nuts - stainless steel mark 12H17
2. For bushings and spacers - stainless steel mark 12H18N10T
3. For all shafts and bolts - stainless steel mark A4
4. For movable parts (hook and lever) - steel 40H after heat treatment and galvanic coat.

All the parts made using laser cutting.

The axle for the lever- 4 mm diameter
The bushing for the lever - 6 mm diameter
The axle for the hook - 8 mm diameter
The bushing for the hook - 10 mm diameter

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The length of the Bowden cable is adjustable for best fixation of the hook

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The clothes peg made with stainless steel and covered by PVC tube for the teeth protection.

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The lever could be opened manually by the finger or using the wire or rope connected to lever through small hole drilled in lever.

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The release could be produced in two modifications:

1. With Bowden cable connected to bottom of release:

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2. With Bowden cable connected to lever:

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Usually have the Bowden comes to front side:

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Some features of the release are more personal preference than technical issue. One of them is the method of connection of the Bowden wire to release.

1. With Bowden directed to pilot side
2. With Bowden directed to forward

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The price of the release is 40 Euro.
Dave Gills
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Joined: 2014/12/15 17:54:14 UTC

Re: Releases

Post by Dave Gills »

Now imagine it attached to the keel and activated by a VG like rope on the left side (with a split collar bushing or similar).
It would function like a dead man switch in that all you have to do is let it slide through your fingers.

http://www.ruland.com/images/heavy-duty-shaft-collar-2pc.jpg
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Tad Eareckson
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Re: Releases

Post by Tad Eareckson »

Clever idea but...


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This is the way to do a two point / keel mounted system. 'Cept throw out the internal basetube stuff (nice but overkill) and engineer the bottom lanyard routing EXACTLY like the VG system you mention using existing manufacturer VG hardware for the bottom. Anything other than that is gonna be a movement backwards.

Here's your AT release issue worst case scenario:

01-001
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04-200
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07-300
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10-307
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15-413
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You can slide your hand inboard a couple inches and abort that situation before Frame One.

Dead man switch... Maybe/Probably a wee bit easier but not enough to make a significant difference. And a dead man switch on a release is a little bit like a deadman switch on a firearm. It's not necessarily gonna produce a favorable outcome. We don't have any real dead man switch incidents - positive or negative outcomes - in the record but think Eric Aasletten and Zack Marzec. Your safety or life is gonna WAY more often be dependent upon staying on line...
Wills Wing / Blue Sky / Steve Wendt / Ryan Voight Productions - 2007/03

NEVER CUT THE POWER...

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Reduce Gradually
Increase Gradually
...than coming off.

Yeah, the stock / one point Kaluzhin Release actuator IS a dead man switch but you're holding it in your teeth and you don't ever need or use your teeth to control the glider. Steve Kinsley's multi-string emergency release and my original variations of it were "tooth-lock" dead man switches which operated the same, for all intents and purposes, as the Kaluzhin but we disabled them once we'd climbed through the kill zone and went into "easy reach" mode.

It's best not to compromise the safety of the many tens of thousands of normal tows for maybe a tiny edge in ONE worst case scenario tow that's never gonna happen anyway in a competent operation with a competent pilot on the back end.

Analogy... You start arming lotsa "good guys" in public venues you MAY get a mitigation of a mass shooting somewhere once a decade. But you're gonna end up with a thousand times more dead guys - of all flavors.

The Kaluzhin shines in one point surface (aero if one must) operations but adapting it for two point / frame mount is a move in the wrong direction.
Dave Gills
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Re: Releases

Post by Dave Gills »

Tad Eareckson wrote:The Kaluzhin shines in one point surface (aero if you must) operations but adapting it for two point / frame mount is a move in the wrong direction.
I'm quite happy with my 2 pt. mouth release even though there is that length of cable in the airflow.

The S2 trims very well with the recommended keel attachment point & 1/2 VG.
I'm confident that I can abort a launch on the cart or in the kill zone if need be.

A suitable strength weak link combined with excellent pitch-down authority and the ability to instantly release, hands free, is more than many have now.
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Tad Eareckson
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Re: Releases

Post by Tad Eareckson »

I'm quite happy with my 2 pt. mouth release even though there is that length of cable in the airflow.
You'd be quite happier with my 2 pt. hand release 'cause there isn't that length of cable in the airflow.
I'm confident that I can abort a launch on the cart or in the kill zone if need be.
Me too. Reaction time is my limiting factor. Like yours.
A suitable strength weak link...
- Is that the same as a Wills Wing appropriate weak link with a finished length of 1.5 inches or less?

- You should get in touch with Eric...

http://sonomawingsbb.yuku.com/topic/5825/4144-Review
4144 Review
Eric Beckman - 2015/10/18 07:59

I have never personally seen a "perfect" system that prevents any possibility of failure, which is why it's so important to have a "correctly sized" weak-link for each pilot and glider combination.
...Beckman and tell him what that is.
...combined with excellent pitch-down authority and the ability to instantly release, hands free, is more than many have now.
No question whatsoever. A lot of people who ain't around no more would be if they'd been using your implementation of that release. And if EVERYBODY'd been using your implementation of that release the fuckin' Rooney Link would've died a decade earlier than it did and we wouldn't have had to listen as much to that little shit babbling about how all mechanical things fail and that that's the reason we all need one-size-fits-all magic fishing line.

BUT...

About the same nanosecond that I developed my two point release "pro towing" became really fashionable. The Ridgely dickheads were all ecstatic about the fact that my release was instantly "obsolete" and all my work had gone down the toilet. Lower performance gliders didn't care about cable in the airflow and high performance gliders could tow one point with negligible bar pressure (and no high speed range).

And your configuration won't get into circulation any more than mine did.

In a better world we'd kill enough pro toads...

06-03114
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3728/9655895292_f4f808fb0e_o.png
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http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bRrpHNa68iY/UQ6Pv9gRZyI/AAAAAAAAjTg/Hc22bx5122Q/s2048/20943781_BG1.jpg
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...for the practice of decertifying one's glider for aerotowing to become unacceptable / be banned.

THEN the manufacturers - who all need their bladewings to be able to finish somewhere in the top three slots - would be FORCED to do the job right and all AT release actuation systems would look just like their VG actuation systems and all AT release mechanisms would look like:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aerotowrelease/8306258400/
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which is essentially a solo hang glider scale Schweizer sailplane release.

But what I was sure would be INEVITABLE a decade ago I have virtually no hope of living long enough to happen with more than two or three individual gliders.

And there actually WAS a development that justifiable made all my work practically worthless. We should blow up all the fuckin' Dragonflies and shoot all their owners and drivers (probably not in that order) and get Guido Piccca's flying dolly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHF7QBmy3qE


into circulation and doing the job. And back in August of '91 I thought the fuckin' Dragonfly was the absolute greatest thing to ever hit the sport since I'd started in it. Dream come true.
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Tad Eareckson
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Re: Releases

Post by Tad Eareckson »

P.S...
Tad Eareckson - 2015/12/14 14:47:29 UTC

The Kaluzhin shines in one point surface (aero if you must) operations but adapting it for two point / frame mount is a move in the wrong direction.
Never meant to imply that was a bad move for the individual pilot wanting something infinitely better than the total crap made available out in the mainstream.
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Tad Eareckson
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Re: Releases

Post by Tad Eareckson »

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=34019
Very sad news
http://www.wesh.com/news/man-dies-in-hanggliding-crash-at-dunnellon-airport/37794860
Man dies in hang-gliding crash at Dunnellon Airport | Local News - WESH Home
Man dies in hang-gliding crash at Dunnellon Airport - 2016/02/03 11:02 EST

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Marion County Sheriff's Office

Marion County sheriff's deputies said the crash was reported Tuesday evening at Dunnellon Airport.

Officials said Tomas Banevicius of New York was killed during his third flight of the day. Reports didn't list his hometown but said he was about 35 feet in the air when the craft fell to the ground nose first.

At the time of the crash, Banevicius was flying a hang glider with the help of a power tow line system. Witnesses said that shortly after take off, Banevicius' hang glider rotated right and then turned downward.

Marion County Fire Rescue officials declared Banevicius dead at the scene shortly after 6 p.m. Officials said they believe that the death was accidental.

Authorities said Banevicius was part of a New York group called U.S. Hang Gliding Inc. that trained in Florida.
Tomas Banevicius - New York - 97154 - H2 - 2016/01/29 - James Donovan - FL FSL - Exp: 2016/10/31
James Donovan - New York - 38584 - Exp: 2016/05/31
- H5 - 2012/11/23 - Paul Voight - AT FL TAT TFL AWCL CL FSL RLF TUR XC - BAS INST (Exp: 2018/12/31), MNTR, OBS
- P1 - 2015/10/26 - Ryan Voight - FL
Four day Two, five days since the last US fatal, five months and nine days since the last US got killed doing anything ill advised, second Groundhog Day Florida towing fatality in a three year span. Off to a great start to trash the 2015 record.

http://www.americanflightadventures.com/hanggliding/Dunnellon_Florida_34430.html
Hang Gliding Adventures in Dunnellon, Florida! :: American Flight Adventures
Imagine skirting the skies across beautiful terrains ... the experience will be better than you can imagine! Dunnellon Hang gliding is a peaceful yet exciting soaring adventure that lets you know exactly what it feels like to fly ultra light.

After instruction on the ground and training on "bunny" hills, you'll enjoy foot-launching from a hill while harnessed to an instructor for the duration of the flight. Your experienced Dunnellon tandem pilot will guide you throughout and may even allow you to steer the glider.

Enjoy incredible hang gliding rides in Dunnellon...

Take a Leap and come see the world from a magnificent vantage point; we think the exhilaration of sailing the skies is unsurpassed in Florida. Reserve your time in the sky by purchasing your Florida hang gliding gift certificate online today!

A Gift They Will Remember For A Lifetime
Must've been using a Tad-O-Link. Those things don't break when they're supposed to.

And I'll tell ya what release these stupid motherfuckers WEREN'T using...

http://mouthrelease.com/
http://www.kitestrings.org/post8812.html#p8812
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http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=14230
pro tow set-up
Ryan Voight - 2009/11/03 20:51:52 UTC

Coming from a guy who's username is aerotowing, yet has nothing good to say about it... that's pretty funny Image

We should go towing some time... I can teach you how to break weaklinks intentionally, before things get too bad... then you can show me how you put things in your mouth Image

My whole point is that people tend to "hang on" too long trying to save things, rather than recognize a bad situation and release (one way or another), go back, and reset.

I'm not saying wait until you're so locked out you're passed 90 degrees bank and then pitch up to break the weaklink and do half a loop into the ground. I'm saying get the hell off way before that, and if you can't let go you CAN pop the weaklink pretty easy... they're weak after all

I'm done with this thread. Went from a good discussion RE: one barrel or two, and became a "the sky is falling and towing is death" tyrade. If you don't want to tow, don't... let other's do what they want. Live and let live my friend.
Fuckin' dickheads.
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Tad Eareckson
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Re: Releases

Post by Tad Eareckson »

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=34019
Very sad news
NMERider - 2016/02/03 16:12:57 UTC

This is tragic. My condolences to Tomas' family, friends and co-workers. Image
Let's not forget the instructor and winch driver. I'm sure they're hurting too. Image
This 24-month long trend in serious and fatal free-flight accidents continues unabated. Let's stop this train that keeps derailing.
Fuck yeah! Whatever it is we're doing to stop this train that keeps derailing we need to do more of it! Starting yesterday!
I know we can all do it.
Me too! I knew you could all do it at the end of March last year.

http://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5788/23461251751_e98b9c7500_o.png
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No more accidents.
What do accidents hafta do with any of this shit?
Let this be our creed.
And let's put it on a wristband and distribute copies free to the membership. We all got two wrists, don't we?

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=34011
RRG funded

Just in time, too! Better get busy refunding it if ya don't wanna miss too many good flying days early this season. Put me down for a quart of warm piss.
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Tad Eareckson
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Re: Releases

Post by Tad Eareckson »

http://www.ushanggliding.com/
US Hang Gliding, Inc.

This, happily, is the Voight twins. We need to really ramp up making their lives as miserable as humanly possible. Hopefully Jim Keen-Intellect Rooney will come to their defense.
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Tad Eareckson
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Re: Releases

Post by Tad Eareckson »

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=14230
pro tow set-up
Ryan Voight - 2009/11/03 05:24:31 UTC

It works best in a lockout situation... if you're banked away from the tug and have the bar back by your belly button... let it out. Glider will pitch up, break weaklink, and you fly away.

During a "normal" tow you could always turn away from the tug and push out to break the weaklink... but why would you?

Have you never pondered what you would do in a situation where you CAN'T LET GO to release? I'd purposefully break the weaklink, as described above. Instant hands free release Image
Jim Rooney - 2009/11/03 06:16:56 UTC

God I love the ignore list Image

Tad loves to have things both ways.
First weaklinks are too weak, so we MUST use stronger ones. Not doing so is reckless and dangerous.
Then they're too strong.

I have no time for such circular logic.
I had it with that crap years ago.

As for being in a situation where you can't or don't want to let go, Ryan's got the right idea. They're called "weak" links for a reason. Overload that puppy and you bet your ass it's going to break.

You can tell me till you're blue in the face about situations where it theoretically won't let go or you can drone on and on about how "weaklinks only protect the glider" (which is BS btw)... and I can tell ya... I could give a crap, cuz just pitch out abruptly and that little piece of string doesn't have a chance in hell. Take your theory and shove it... I'm saving my a$$.
http://www.wesh.com/news/man-dies-in-hanggliding-crash-at-dunnellon-airport/37794860
Man dies in hang-gliding crash at Dunnellon Airport | Local News - WESH Home
Man dies in hang-gliding crash at Dunnellon Airport - 2016/02/03 11:02 EST

Image
Marion County Sheriff's Office

At the time of the crash, Banevicius was flying a hang glider with the help of a power tow line system. Witnesses said that shortly after take off, Banevicius' hang glider rotated right and then turned downward.

Marion County Fire Rescue officials declared Banevicius dead at the scene shortly after 6 p.m. Officials said they believe that the death was accidental.
Nope.
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