Scale Soaring UK

I'm told the carbon cub can be used to aero tow upto 3m gliders?
Anyone actually used one to do that?
How well did the model cope & what is the best battery choice for the model?
Martin

Hi Martin

Check out this video link that I put on the thread from the 'New aerotow event in the Midlands' thread in the events section.

The glider is a 4m ASK18, but I have towed a quarter scale ASK13 of Cliff Evans which was bigger and heavier. It was slow and scale like but we towed to just under 1000 feet.

You need to change the prop to an APC one of 1" more pitch to stop the motor over revving. I am using 6s 4500 or 5000mah 40c or 60c lipos which will only give 2 tows to about 1200 to 1400 feet as that takes around one and a half to two minutes and that is a lot for full throttle use at a total time of 4 minutes plus a bit of messing about on the way back in. Make sure the motor is bolted up tight, and if possible drill a couple of extra holes for airflow from the motor bay into the battery compartment.

Re: New aerotow event in the Midlands
Quote

Postby Ray Watts » 07 Jul 2016, 07:21

Click on the link below for my first foray into using the Mobius video and editing. Much to be learnt yet.

This is my Carbon Z cub on 6s LiPo towing James' 1/4 scale 4m ASK18 at Milson last weekend

Enjoy

Ray

Wow very impressive Ray.
Best get that prop & get mine going again then

The prop that I am using is a 15x6e APC

Nice video and well done on the cub,
I'm mot sure that the tow rope won't get caught in the gap between the rudder and the fin though, and the same on the elevator. I feel its a disaster waiting to happen
Stu

Stuart
If you look at 6:24 in the clip Ray is quite adept at breaking them off in the grass
T.

The problem being that it's a balanced rudder so even rigging wires won't make it completely snag resistant.

James was flying his glider a bit low. Towards the end of the tow on the second flight he came up before releasing. I kept telling him to trim up a bit. If the glider pilot flew the glider high then it would minimise the issue.
Even if it did take the balance part off, it shouldn't end in disaster, you would just loose the part that got knocked off
Ray

The one time you need to let tow line go, you will have no idea where the glider will be.
Not take away you spot light, it a nice stable tow plane
Stu

Where did you buy the 15x6 apc e prop Ray?
Seems not many sellers around on the web.

Pegasus models, but it was a year ago.
They also had the Du Bro inflatable balloon tyre and wheel set that I use. I got the 5 1/2" ones for a £5 saving but more importantly for a reasonable weight saving

Cheers Ray
Props in stock
Tyres in stock
Just need to find a willing glider guider at the Frome club now for
some fun.

Ray, also towed up my Pat Teakle 1/4 scale HP18 with the carbon cub on a previous day where the wind was at 90 degrees and gusting, was a slow start as HP18 doesn't have a wheel and we didn't have a dolly, but once up it went OK if a sedately.

BTW The Parkzone foamie Ka8s if you can find one are a great low cost introduction into aerotowing.

I'm setting up a Carbon Cub for towing, but have so far used a Super Telemaster to tow a Parkzone ASK 18 (about ten tows so far). I made a dolly/trolley, but it's not needed with the foamie. Next up is an Elmira, parts provided by Vintage Models: fitted with ailerons. A lot of work went into this one, so it's going to be exciting. We have granite sand as our 'field', so I lay out a strip of floor covering (thin carpet) to give the glider a start. Our Tele seems to me a bit underpowered with 5S, though - going to try 6 soon. I cut the tailplane tips on the Cub, and refitted them so that they don't move. I have no 'rigging wires' from the fin to the tailplane tips yet, so the next step is to modify the rudder in the same way as the tp and then fit them.If it can go wrong, it will, probably with a very labour-intensive sailplane on tow... The Carbon Cub will be 6S, as I'll maybe tow my Olympia 2B in about a year's time. Maybe!