Dion and others,

4m is a pretty big wing, and if it's a scale bird I think it would be the heaviest yet on the OneWinch.

As others have pointed out, having good tension at the start is key. If trying ROG I would either have someone hold the plane (or have a release mechanism) so you don't waste all your line capacity getting up to speed.

Don't forget that the limiting factor is power. Instead of putting the tow strap around one person's waist you could remove the buckle and have two people pull from the ends. This is uncharted territory, but putting two people instead of one on the business end of the pulleys is well within the equipment's capacity.

Tim

We had a perfect flying day here in SE Minnesota today, so friend of mine and I went to the local sailplane flying site. He brought his OneWinch with him. He has launched 2 Meter planes with it but hadn't launched a 3 Meter plane with it yet.

We used the OneWinch to launch my 3 Meter Mirage. My friend said it did require more effort to launch the Mirage than it had taken to launch the 2 Meter planes, but the amount of effort required was not excessive at all. We launched into a 5 - 6 mph breeze. I am so very impressed with this way of launching a sailplane! The OneWinch is so much smoother and more controlled than a Hi Start or an electric winch. Sometimes my friend hardly needed to pull backwards at all. The plane just went up like a kite. We consistently and easily launched to the maximum height the standard OneWinch is set for (500').

I am very impressed with the OneWinch. I don't think I will ever use my 3 Meter Hi Start again.

Ray

Adding this to my Xmas list. Does Santa read RCG?

He will be when I get done explaining the scenario!

I hope no one minds if I occasionally inject these links into the discussion. Video really helps people understand how the OneWinch works so I show where the launch videos are that I posted.


Posted several reports starting on bottom of the page.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...1473778&page=9
Videos on this page - around post 158.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...473778&page=11

I fly RCs at a full scale ultalight grass field when they are not flying. When using a high start I worry about someone coming in to land that I didn’t know about and the high start getting caught up in the full size plane. With the high start it may take me a moment to get to the shoot and secure the line, how much easer will this be with the Onewinch? I do not set up on the runway but the high start may end up across it, would I have the same problem with the Onewinch?

You might.

Like a hi-start there is line and a chute. Since you should be launching into the wind, the wind should bring the chute back toward you. My experience is that this works as well or better with the one winch. however if the wind shifts cross wind the chute can go .... wherever, with either one.


One option is to remove the chute. Use a streamer. The line will tend to fall straight down rather than be carried away with the wind. It comes out of the sky faster and will likely be more in lie with your hi-start or the OneWinch.

Originally Posted by chris24354

I fly RCs at a full scale ultalight grass field when they are not flying. When using a high start I worry about someone coming in to land that I didn’t know about and the high start getting caught up in the full size plane. With the high start it may take me a moment to get to the shoot and secure the line, how much easer will this be with the Onewinch? I do not set up on the runway but the high start may end up across it, would I have the same problem with the Onewinch?

Chris,

Good question.

The OneWinch allows you to pull in the line as far as you want - like "tapping down the chute" in a contest.
You wouldn't usually do this, because normally you stop pulling as soon as the sailplane drops the chute. This allows the wind to bring the chute most of the way back to the launch point.

However, if if a full scale bird is approaching and the line is in the way, you can just grab the handle and walk back about 100 feet. This would pull the chute out of harm's way - right back to the turnaround if you want.

Tim

ok go to your local high school football field not many horses there i hope

Any Australian users out there?
I have a unit on order and would be interested in hearing from the Aussies.

Gregg

My OneWinch is on loan to a friend, and for me this is slope soaring season so the It could be months before I could try this. It would be cool to have a retriver set-up.

I was thinking that a spinning rod could be used as a retriver. Might not work with a hi-start since you have to drag that bulky/heavy rubber along the ground, through the grass. But with a OneWinch you don't have that issue.

Has anyone given this a try?

Wouldn't a retriver complicate the simplicity of the one winch?

They also contribute to the waistline.

Originally Posted by tailsld

Wouldn't a retriver complicate the simplicity of the one winch?

Yes, and an automatic transmission contributes to the mechanical complexity of a car.

Originally Posted by aeajr

Yes, and an automatic transmission contributes to the mechanical complexity of a car.

I agree, that's why all of my cars are manual shifters....