大象传媒

JUST A PIECE OF ROPE

Whilst watching the 60th Anniversary of 鈥淒 Day鈥� on TV back in May, seeing the airborne landings, I wondered if anyone ever thought anything about that piece of rope connecting the tug to the glider. I recalled the hours I spent servicing them and endlessly changing the fittings and thought it might be of interest to pass on a few details of what it was all about.

When I heard I was being posted from a very cold Thornaby-on-Tees, with its troublesome Warwicks, to Netheravon, on Salisbury Plain, I was at first very pleased but on learning I was 鈥榙etailed鈥� to the 鈥楻ope Section鈥� my heart sank. The 鈥楻ope Section鈥� comprised a small workshop in the corner of a hanger filled with hundreds of ropes all stacked neatly, each with different labels attached, but as I got 鈥榠nterested鈥� I found it was much better than I anticipated.

There were in fact two types of rope, the smaller 350ft long by 3.5 in circumference. (A rope is measured in 鈥榗irc鈥� not 鈥榙ia鈥�) and these were used to 鈥榯ug鈥� Horsa and Waco/Hadrian Gliders. The larger ropes, still 350ft long but 4.5 in circumference were used to tug our biggest glider, the Hamilcar. Each rope had a log book recording its serviceability and number of 鈥榯ugs鈥�. A label with the rope鈥檚 number and, on a new rope, ten pieces of tape were threaded between its strands. After each 鈥榯ug鈥� one tape was removed, the rope inspected, splices checked and details entered in it鈥檚 log book. All ropes had a radio cable threaded through to allow the tug and glider pilots to communicate.

The greatest amount of work we had to do was on the 鈥榗onnecting鈥� fittings spliced to each end of the rope. The English and American couplings were different (what鈥檚 new?) The American was basically a big hook and eye but the English had what was called 鈥楲obel鈥� fittings. The easiest way I can describe them is: clench one hand into a fist and then clasp it with the other hand. To release, was of course to open the second hand. Both tug and glider were able to make the 鈥榬elease鈥� but, other than in an emergency, it was always the glider.

It was a constant job changing these fittings, we (English) had four types of tug: Whitley, Halifax, Stirling and Albermarle having, of course, standard 鈥楨鈥� type fittings. The Hadrian had 鈥楢鈥� type fittings and the Horsa 鈥楨鈥�. Of course the American tugs differed, for instance, the Dakota having 鈥楢鈥� type to the Hadrian鈥檚 鈥楢鈥�, and the Horsa鈥檚 鈥楨鈥�. There seemed to be endless combinations but the easiest pair to connect was the Halifax, the most powerful tug, to the Hamlicar, because both fittings were always the same.

Another change came when the Mk.2 Horsa came into service, this having a 鈥榮traight鈥� rope pull from the tail of the tug to the nose of the glider. (The Mk.1 Horsa had a 鈥榊鈥� pull from the tail of the tug to the glider鈥檚 main planes, 鈥榳ings鈥�)

Of course questions were always asked following rope breaks, but the answer was never due to lack of maintenance. They usually occurred when the tug and glider were not in line, mostly caused when the glider pilot lost sight of the tug in cloud. The glider had an instrument in the cockpit to show the angle of 鈥榯ug to glider鈥� (called the angle 鈥攄angle) but this was not very good if the angles changed very quickly.

Another reason for breaks was when the glider changed from 鈥榟igh tug鈥� to 鈥榣ow tug鈥�. When the glider flew through the tugs slipstream a 鈥榩ush-pull鈥� effect occurred and the 鈥榗hucking鈥� by this would cause the rope to break. So weather was really the problem, in particular, cloud or cross-wind.

An interesting trial we carried out was to simulate 鈥榮natching鈥� a glider from the ground. This was done by placing two poles 12ft high, 20ft apart over which we draped a 2 inch nylon rope 220ft long, forming a big loop. The tug flew very low over the rope collecting the loop on the hook. The cable unwound from the winch until the weight of the 鈥檊lider鈥� was reached and slowly 鈥榯ook off鈥�. When 鈥榓irborne鈥� the winch wound in the cable until 2鈥� nylon rope reached the tail of the tug.

The first 鈥榯ries鈥� were with the Whitley tug and a Hotspur training glider, but for intended operations mainly in the far east, a Dakota was used snatching a Hadrian Glider.

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