high start new guy question

[davidbogart]

hi guys,

...i recently made a high start out of 20 feet of tubing and
some nylon rope, works good..but....

..i was wondering if anyone could tell me why some times
my plane goes up in a rainbow fashion (which i guess is good)
while at other times i am dissapointed to see it shoot more
forward rather then up. during these launches i only get my
altitude after the hook releases from the speed.

..my launch attitude of the plane seems the same, nose up
at about 45 degrees or so.

..so why the difference, some good, some bad? wind? is there something im missing?

..thanks all, as always someone always comes through for me.

dave

[Craig Logan]

David:

Changes in headwind and elevator trim can make a BIG difference in climb angle. Where is your towhook located front-rear relative to the CG of the plane? Also, how much line do you have attached to the rubber, and what size is it?

You can try adding up trim to steepen the launch until you reach the point at which launching becomes unstable. A tow hook too far forward will make steep climbouts difficult too, but one too far back makes for tip stalls and squirrely launches.

[davidbogart]

craig,

..my towhook is located just slightly ahead of the cg (maybe 1mm).

..i made my highstart from 20 feet of tubing and tied on
some 65 feet of nylon twine (its a small hand launch glider).

..i was fooling around with the trim during the launches and
realized that i need up elevator trim for launch and then some nose down trim after it released to avoid a stall.

.thanks for the info and reply.

dave

[ramair]

there are releasable tow hooks that you can buy that are cheap and much better because you dont have to worry about coming off if your nose getsto high but the best thing is that you can snake up the line buy tacking up wind like a sail boat does
i always try to keep it pulling me up but try not to get upwind to much and then make a mad dash upwind to release
you might also want to try making your line a little longer so that you never lift the bungie off the ground,also with a servo operated release its much nicer to release because there is less chance of stalling ramair

[Soar_dude]

I would not go with a releasable tow hook on HLG due to adding more weight to a already small glider. Most beginners have a hard time remembering to release it at the right time! The other suggestion I have is use some light monofiliment fishing line about 20-30 lb test this line is much lighter and has less drag then braided nylon. What is the diameter of the surgical tubing you are using? Because that will also determine how much line you can use to get the most out of the stored energy in the surgical tubing.

Soar dude

[ramair]

hey soar dude,my release is under 7 grams, how small are these hand launch gliders anyway???im not trying to be smart ,i just dont know the kind of weights they are,can they not even be ballisted ramair

[Soar_dude]

Most hand Launchers are under 16oz. there wingspans are under 60" or under so wieght is a BIG deal with them. I have a K.I.S.S. philosophy:) when it comes to flying the less switches you have to flip the easier it is concentrate on flying.

Soar Dude

[N6UBO]

Hi Gents.

I have an Art Hobby Elster that is supposed to be a HLG. It came in "Heavy" at about 14 oz, the manufacturer's specs say under 10.

I put a tow hook on it ( A graupner 647) and use a small upstart, 33 feet of surgical tubing and 200 feet of dacron cord. You stretch it to 100 yards total length, and it works pretty well.
Your 65 feet of cord sounds too short. You don't get much up, before you wind up pulling forward toward the stake.
Just my opinion.