Tad's barrel release tested

[brianvh]

I, Brian Vant-Hull (hereafter referred to variously as "I" or "me") in the company of James Rooney (hereafter variously referred to as "Jim" or "Rooney" (collectively referred to as "we")) do attest that on Saturday, June 28, I have laid hands upon and inspected, under controlled and numerically repeatable conditions, the barrel release (hereafter referred to as "Tad's Release") constructed by Thaddeus Eareckson (hereafter referred to as "Tad") and have compared it under identical conditions to the 'Bailey' barrel release.

We found that under a load of 250 pounds the Bailey release required a very strong tug (I couldn't do it at first) while Tad's release could be actuated with the friction of two fingers. Rooney could actuate the Bailey release immediately, but admitted they practiced this during tandem training, so he knew to wrap his fingers over the top and pull vigorously. I do not believe that if the forces became this strong I could operate the Bailey release with the alacrity required under lockout conditions, but could actuate the Tad release. I won't speak for Jim, but

Under weight of these observations, I do attest that TAD's RELEASE is SUPERIOR to the BAILEY RELEASE and that the BAILEY RELEASE is SERIOUSLY FLAWED UNDER HIGH LOADS.

In witness thereoff, I attach my signature and moreover have purchased Tad's release.

Brian Vant-Hull
June 30, 2008

[mcelrah]

Hi Brian! Sorry I missed you this weekend (She Who Must Be Obeyed pointed out that this was an official child-free weekend). Let the record reflect that I, too, am in the hands of Tad, who has installed an internal release system on my U-2. Hopefully he was able to complete flight testing it...

In other news, took a friend up in the trike at Front Royal yesterday (Sallie and I camped at Sky Meadows State Park - verdant and beautiful, but lots of ticks - Jay had just gotten groomed...). Once airborne, heard distress call from Kevin Fleet, a a beat up old HG pilot who has gone over to sailplanes as safer/easier on the body. Kevin in his Libelle got sucked up into a big black cumulus cloud, got thrashed, broke the canopy with his head, made a hard emergency landing clipping trees with a wing, and was disoriented, bleeding from facial lacerations, and his back hurt. Provided radio relay and search (in the wrong place - Kevin was too shook up to give good directions) until the tug found him near where it had dropped him off. Skyline Soaring Club continued the rescue/retrieval from there. Kevin went to the hospital to get checked out.

With this sort of pilot report, I wondered if we had any business flying in what might be overdeveloped conditions (my passenger is subject to motion sickness and pre-medicates for flying/sailing), but continued around Signal Knob and south along the ridge (headwind) to Woodstock launch then climbed and returned to FRR over the back without incident. Stayed well clear of clouds. The wind did pick up and the sky looked "interesting" while we picnicked at the hangar and then went to the swimming hole in the Fort Valley.

- Hugh

[RedBaron]

Tad showed me the release system he installed in Hugh's glider. I was amazed at the quality and comlexity of the system. Being able to tow and release without ever having to take your hands off the base tube is wonderful and much safer. With a bunch of tows to boot I can say that it happened once that I tried to release but missed the brake lever, instead I just pushed it around the down tube and had a much harder time reaching and actuating it. I have no trouble picturing how this could cost me valuable time and altitude in an emergency situation. My goals are to tow without the fin, switch to pro-tow and then I will also contact Tad and ask him to fix me up with his baileys.

[mcelrah]

Janni,

Tad can/has articulated why his release is better, but the "Lookout" strap-on release also provides a way of releasing without removing a hand form the basetube and I have been well satisfied with it. It's a big step up from the bicycle brake handle. Tad's improvements are around engineering elegance, possibility of the spinnaker shackle abrading the weaklink, etc.

- Hugh

[jimrooney]

For clarity, as I have no issues with Tad's barrel releases...

I'm practiced at releasing Bailey's under severe load because I fly with them tandem (and figured it might be a good idea), not because it's part of tandem training. And the conversation went "No, like this... pop".

I consider this a non-issue flying solo since you will not achieve the loads where you see differences between straight pin or barrel pin releases... you do have a 130lb weaklink?... don't you? So I don't really see why I should care about the release force required at 250lbs (or 500lbs for that matter).

Jim

[Tad Eareckson]

Brian,

Newark, 47 Albert Avenue, abandoned warehouse. Key's behind a loose brick about waist high to the left of the door. Your mom was still OK last evening. Now tell everyone about my great people skills and you get the Labrador back in one piece.

But seriously...

Thanks much for the testimonial.

Correction - That was 250 PSI on the hydraulic pressure gauge. That translates to 194 pounds of tension on the releases.

Hugh,

Sorry - still no trim test.

When I got to the bridges the south span was closed and they were running the remaining lanes two west and one east. Wasn't holding up to the heat very well while I was trying to learn all about tip wands, sprogs, and transverse battens, one of the tugs is majorly dead (cracked fuselage - John Williamson was flying substitute), and the surviving Ridgely tug was developing an oil pressure problem that had it grounded from the time the Saturday afternoon thunderstorm rolled through until midafternoon Sunday at which time it was really cranking out of the SW.

So your glider is currently back here in my silo neatly stowed and bone dry.

Good news - Neither Mike Meier, Sunny, Adam, nor yours truly thinks the trim will be an issue.

Bad news - Saturday morning I discovered to my dismay that my glider sustained a mildew attack during the past few weeks worth of rain and heat so you're not getting yours back.

Aren't you fiberglass people strapped in tight enough so's you can't put your head through the canopy? Any updates on Kevin? And how's the plane?

Janni,

Thank you also for the evaluation. Like Hugh said... The Lookout release is a pretty safe safe option. But...

Tim,

I've got a few people drooling over your release. That technology is going to waste now. When are you going to get the assembly line rolling?

And I'm still dying to get my hand on that prototype. How 'bout dropping it off at Ridgely if you're there and I'm not? And gimme a heads up if you're gonna be there. I've still got all that bridle and secondary stuff in the bag and wanna get together with you so's we can get it adjusted.

Jim,

Thanks for checking things out on the test rig.

Yeah, most people are never going to have a problem releasing a curved pin barrel.

But some people have. So if bending the pin makes it over three times harder to pull the release - why bend the pin?

Also - using the 1.4 G rule - a 130 pound weak link is appropriate for a 186 pound glider. That sounds like someone that Karen could beat up with one hand tied behind her back. I use a weak link which could subject the barrel release to 228 pounds. With a Bailey I gotta be prepared to pull over 36 pounds. I'm off of a straight pin at a bit over eleven.

Yeah, I could probably use the exercise, but aside from that...?

[huddlec]

I also broke down and bought the pull-from-the-shoulers version of Tad's release system. Haven't had a chance to use it yet, but it looks spiffy.
Christy

[mcelrah]

Ya, I have one of those also, used it last year, but decided I wasn't really happy with towing from the shoulders. Pulled me through the control frame enough that it's ergonomically difficult to properly coordinate - I tend to cross-control, get more PIOs on tow. Another benefit of letting Tad drill holes in my control frame: he moved the VG cleat 1 1/2 inches inboard so the Swoosh wheel (which has a hole for the VG string in its hub) can sit outboard and I have better access to the cleat. VG adjustments used to involve moving the wheel out of the way. Wheel is now positively located - before, it could slide all the way across the base tube - even the curvy Speedstream one. - Hugh