G

g zero

Well Known Member
Any way to get the " No Towing " removed from the operating limitations ?
Or build an Experimental built for towing ?
 
One of our friendly FAA HQ guys and I talked about this, and he couldn't think of a way to do it. Louise and I would love to have an experiemntal tow plane to launch each other in a glider out here in the west - but that restriction has been there for a long time and tradtion is hard to beat in the government.

I know of at least one airshow performer that figured out a way to do it with a homebuilt, but I think it involved an Exhibition airworthiness instead of an Amateur-built, as well as extra inspection requirements. Didn't sound practical to me as a standard way of doing business.

Paul
 
Many years ago at Sun-n-Fun, I was looking at one of Van's factory planes. It had a cockpit activated tow release hook. When I asked about it, all I got was a smile.
 
noelf said:
Many years ago at Sun-n-Fun, I was looking at one of Van's factory planes. It had a cockpit activated tow release hook. When I asked about it, all I got was a smile.
Click to expand...

Ahh...butt here' the subtle point - Van's factory planes are oftne not "Experimental - Amateuer Built" but rather "Experiemntal - Market Survey", or "Development", or something like that. Slightly different rules apply.
 
I was getting ready for flight one morning in Boise with an experimental market survey plane. The FAA inspector spotted all the stuff we had duct taped to the outside... he was getting visibly excited about busting us. Then he looked up the N number and was deflated. A number of things can be done in R and D category and Market survey, but it has to be renewed each year and has limited geographical area to fly in. Towing sure would be fun though !!
 
Is an RV really practical as a glider tug? (I'm assuming that's what you're after.)

If we're looking at a broader selection of a/c, does the Experimental Exhibition category typically contain the towing restriction? If not, it might be worth a look. The restrictions in the category changed a bit, a while back.

Charlie
 
rv7charlie said:
Is an RV really practical as a glider tug? (I'm assuming that's what you're after.)

If we're looking at a broader selection of a/c, does the Experimental Exhibition category typically contain the towing restriction? If not, it might be worth a look. The restrictions in the category changed a bit, a while back.

Charlie
Click to expand...

I agree with the question...is it really practical?

My -7 with it's tightly-cowled IO-360 generating lots of heat at 100% power would HATE towing a 2-33 (with a Vne of 98 mph) at the 60-65mph those things like being towed at....

Even my old ASW-19 had a max tow speed of only 92 KIAS, which I'm rapidly passing thru on my way to 115-120 to stop the thermal rise and keep my CHT's at a manageable level...and it was much more fun to fly that thing on tow at 75 KIAS or so, rather than at the upper limit.

Unless the cowling was radically changed allowing MUCH more air thru the engine at lower indicated airspeeds, glider towing would be a good way to get to see your engine get cooked...

My 2 cents, adjusted for inflation...

Rob Schroer
 
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Part of the hassle may be that towing is usually a commercial operation, meaning done for compensation or hire. The other part may be the traditional FAA knowledge of risk / assumption of risk, meaning that the towee may not know the certification and risks of the towplane.

But as pointed out, RVs are in general too fast for towing gliders. (I've towed in C-182, Citabrias, and Super Cubs. In fact, I've never taken off a Super Cub without a glider in tow).

Ed
 
A tow hook would be very handy if you found yourself at a strange airport by yourself with a dead battery. You could tie it down and hand prop it and be able to release from the pilots seat.
 
Rocket Tug

Ken Fowler of Team Rocket has often towed Manfred Radius and his Salto 101 glider at airshows. I can't get my head around the glider VNE versus keeping the 540 cool, but I have watched it done a few times. Ken has dual oil coolers, and the Salto 101 has a higher than average VNE for gliders with very short wings.

I have never seen a Pawnee with a factory tow hook, so at some level the tow gear is all experimental / hand made.
 
This is one area where the Australian rules are more relaxed. This exemption allows for towing with an experimental aircraft with CASA permission. Other than the Pawnee tugs that have car engines installed I don't know of any other experimental aircraft that tow.

https://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2014L00974.

I have wondered what an rv-12 with a beefed up fuselage, a rotax 914 and the prop set for climb would tow like....
 
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Just got my insurance policy today, and it says "no towing". Insurance restrictions are more important than FARs, imho!
 
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