I went to the field on Wednesday afternoon around noon. I found one 2-33 with a wing tip on the ground. One wing’s strap’s hook had slipped out of the earth anchor.
This probably was cause by one of the straps either not being tightened enough, or the strap locking gizmo had slipped, as the wind gusts rocked the ship. I suggest that we should invest in more positive attachment anchor straps that if the strap loosens they will still remain attached at both the ground anchor and the wing tie down ring. See some suggested straps shown below. Cheap insurance.
The correct use of the fuselage saw horse was CRITICAL here. We lost a 2-33 (“Rainbow”) 10 years ago when we had stopped using the saw horses for some reason. With the tail on the group instead of elevated, a 2-33’s wings are at a very high angle of attack. A major wind gust created enough lift that the wing’s earth anchors were pulled straight up out of the ground, flipping the ship onto its back. Total loss. A very sad day. Otherwise, everything looked fine.
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John H DeRosa
West Dundee, Illinois, USA
mailto:john@derosaweb.com
http://derosaweb.net “Anyone who hasnever made a mistake has never tried anything new.” – Albert Einsteinhttp://derosaweb.net/matrix_codes/DeRosaweb_URL_MC.png
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