Hmmmm, not a lot to report for today's activities, it's raining steadily and there's more to come, but so far there's no official word that the day's cancelled, so we presume it isn't. All we've heard so far is that there's no grid, but whether that means that gridding sheets haven't been determined or that the grid - which would normally be open - is still closed I'm not sure. The weather forecasts aren't great, in fact pointing at this stage to conditions that might be worse than yesterday.
But I'm forgetting something that happened yesterday. There was a PIK-5C flying around! This particular machine was built in the mid-50s, one of around 30 or so that were built. It's in pristine condition and perfectly flyable. Not sure if those gliders were ever painted but this one has been finished in a clear film overcoat that allows the exquisite nature of the wood and craftsmanship to be seen. I've included several pictures of it.
The gliding operation also has a winch. It was built by a man who retired a while back and then built it for something to do. It's electric. It uses 48 batteries, each of 130Ah capacity (I forgot to ask about the voltage or how they were connected). Assuming they're all 12V, that results in 70 kWh of energy to play with. It uses a large 136KW DC motor connected to the drum, but I didn't ask whether via a gearbox (I suspect not). It uses Dyneema, of the next size smaller than ours at Balaklava. It was used to launch the PIK-5, which has a comparatively low winch speed (not sure what, exactly, but could be 40-45 kts) and the winch would have the capacity to launch it many times before needing recharging. I've included a picture of the motor and drum, and the wooden structure to the right of the picture houses the batteries. It's mounted on a largish truck, and fully covered by a canvas awning, so that nothing of the mechanism is visible from the outside.
While I'm at it, another shot of the ASG32, being towed overhead.
The winch. You can just see the motor in the middle of the picture.
The PIK-5 on tow. I think its maximum tow speed is the lowest that the tug can manage.
The PIK-5.
Detail of the upper part of the nose. Now that's woodwork!
Two interchangeable canopies!
Another shot.
Detail of the aileron and trailing edge.
Detail of the tail. The fabric is in perfect condition.
Launching.
Detail of the tail cables, and the boom.
And the instruments. Eric's in the shot too; I don't think he'd fit into it! Cosim vario of course.
Further updates after the team captains' meeting.
Cheers!
Great photos Andrew, thanks
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