Not a tug but it will do the job.

[GunnyK.]

OK Gents, I could not find a section where to post this. This is the closest I can find. Therefore please excuse me. About a year ago I wanted to build something that will get my glider in the air when I am alone on the available property to me. One of my friends bought 5 acres of farm land just west of Kankakee IL which he has given me permission to fly models on. He is an Astronomer and is putting up a small observatory on the north-east corner of it, about the size of a yard shed. The rest is open. Since I will be the only one there flying, I need a way to get my gliders up in the air. This is what I have built. It utilizes a 600Kv 1100W motor designed to spin a 16" propeller. It is reduced even more 3.75:1 and attached to a deep-see fishing reel and filled with 100# test braded line. It is very compact 29" long and 10" wide. It weighs 3# without the battery which will be a 11.1V Lithium 450Whr (41Ah) battery (54x 18650 cells). It is controlled with an 80A speed control and the throttle channel of my radio and an extra receiver.

Update;
I forgot to mention that there is over 300M of line on the reel.

[SteveNeill]

Nice. Beautiful work.

[GunnyK.]

I sure hope it works as well as it looks. I can't see why it shouldn't. I remember the old days when guys were using old car starter motors to do this job. You needed a cart just to get it to the field from your car.

[GunnyK.]

It will get staked in the field and draw straight into the reel. No back loop. I do plan on using a brake from the speed-control.

[JimD]

Trying to understand the rod that extends out. Thinkng it guides the tow line onto the spool, but don't understand the bolts that stick out from the sides of the rod.

[GunnyK.]

The bolts on the side are adjustable back and forth as anchor points along the (correctly presumed) the line guide. The four holes on the plate are also anchor points. This would give a total of 10 possible anchor points to the base.

[edfmaniac]

Nice. If you get one of these, try experimenting with the motor brake setting on the esc. LOL Most club winches have a spool brake of some kind. I've never been around one of the F3J winches so I don't know how they address the issue.

[Csessa]

great idea to run it from the transmitter with a second receiver. it would be interesting to use that technique on a standard winch and/or retriever.

what size / weight gliders do you think this will handle?

[GunnyK.]

I can't see why it shouldn't be able to handle a 100" or greater glider. The motor is 1.5HP and total reduction is 7.5:1. The reel is 3.8:1 and my reduction is an additional 3.75:1 If I get my 93" Sinbad in time to have it built by spring, I will try the winch out on it. I plan on reducing the dihedral and adding ailerons. I may even stretch the span by a rib or two and stretch the fuse by 3". Thinking of increasing the total wingspan to 100". Build the wing around a carbon spar and add wing struts. Make it look like a vintage scale glider.

It is not 7.5:1 but in fact 14.25:1 I added the two ratios when they should be multiplied. MyBad but I guess that is actually better for the winch. The spool will spin at 463RPM at 11.1V That means it should draw the line in at about 225ft/min. If that is too slow I can add another 3.7V. But when I run it, it spins like crazy so we will see.

[GunnyK.]

BOY, Did I REALLY screw the pooch. The gearing on the reel is the other way around. It is to the faster not slower. This means that the spool spins 1:1 with the motor. OK time for a new motor and a larger yet reel pulley if I can find a larger one. O put in an intermediate reduction pulley. Plus I was also wrong about the amount of line on there it is 500M of line on the spool. I know the reel can handle the weight, but if the motor has enough power, I may just run the reel on 7.4V to limit the speed.

[SteveNeill]

Yikes. Glad you got it before a launch!

[GunnyK.]

I really don't think it would have caused much of a problem since the speed is fully proportional and I think the motor will have more than enough power.