Aviation Concepts Heavy Duty Aircraft Tow Release

[JimD]

After our discussion with Pete about tow release mechanisms in his Hangar 9 Piper Pawnee Build thread, I got an idea for a heavy duty tow release. We called Gunny at Aviation Concepts and he liked the idea. He asked that I send him a drawing with dimensions so he could work up a CAD version. So we quickly sketched out the idea and emailed it to him and he had the CAD plans done the same evening.



[ATTACH]n5601[/ATTACH]

The next day, he went to work on the building the prototype and getting it welded up.



Then it went into his finishing machine and here is the finished product this morning.



It features a 1/8" music wire pull pin and can be mounted either to the front or rear of its support bulkhead.

[lenb]

Great idea Jim, being universal is the key!!!!

[JimD]

Also, the 1/8" music wire pull pin will be plenty strong for those giant scale sailplanes ...and by using a separate pushrod from the servo and attaching it to the pull pin with a clevis, the problem with side-to-side motion is compensated for by this joint.

[Xroadie]

Looks great! I wish I'd had one last week

Say...I assume that the transition from a slot in the top to a hole was so that the loop can be inserted from either side? IE:The hole goes all they way through...right?

Love the idea of the pivot at the bottom to eliminate binding too!!

Pete

[Xroadie]

I may have answered my own question....I just looked at the PDF file you attached above!! AWESOME!!!

[JimD]

Yep, I think we have a winner! Gunny is working on pricing now, time, materials, welding, finishing, and a small profit!

[Xroadie]

BTW....making the tow release round sure will simplify making an opening in the top of the fuselage. A round hole is easy to make....as opposed to trying to make a rectangular opening like I just had to do

[JimD]

As Gunny and I were brainstorming this idea, we tried to consider all of the issues about tow releases that we have learned over the years. No mechanical device is absolutely perfect, but we tried to get as close as possible. BTW, Gunny is a genius designer and fabricator.

[gunny11]

Nice Jim, and thanks for the plug.
He keeps me busy with all kinds of brain storming ideas.
;-)

[Swiss1]

Looks like a great accumulation of ideas gentlemen

Jeremy and Ben
SCCAAA TT TN

[eajbrian]

Does the pin go all the way through the top of the housing?

Brian

[Xroadie]

Brian...yes it does. Download the PDF file in post #1 to see technical drawings of the release.
Pete