Re: [RCSE] I'm afraid of my sailplane

[DUWorm]

Without actually seeing the launch, it is difficult to figure it out, but I'll try.

1.  Is the hook solid in the bottom of the plane?
2.  It sounds like the plane is nose heavy.  (4 clicks of down trim flying fast but flew fine with out the down trim in a hand launch)
3.  Hang the plane upside down from the hook.  It should hang tail down.  If it slides off the hook, the hook needs to be moved forward.
4.  The plane may have too much elevator throw.  Here is why it may cause a problem.  I am assuming that you have mixed rudder to aileron so you can steer the plane on launch with your right thumb.  On my planes the rudder mix in flight mode is rather small so I can easily override with my left thumb on the rudder stick.  During launch that small amount of rudder mix may not allow enough rudder to steer the plane on launch.  Remember ailerons roll the airplane.  On tow, that means little if any steering action from the ailerons.  So what happens on launch when the plane takes an immediate left hand turn on launch?  You apply full right aileron, get a little bit of rudder steering and a whole lot of roll. The right wing tip comes down, but the plane is still going left.  In your computer radio add extra rudder mix in launch mode.
5.  The plane may have stalled on launch.  Because of the location of the hook, the plane wants to pitch nose up on launch.  If the pitch up occurs before the wings and control surfaces have attained flight speed, the wing stalls, drops a wing and the controls are practically worthless until the plane has picked up enough forward speed to allow the control surfaces to do their thing.  Make sure that you throw your plane on launch so that as it leaves your hand, it would still fly if the launch equipment failed the instant the plane leaves your hand. 
6.  Of course, it may be that the high start was just too weak, or you launched down wind.  Without being there your description does not contain enough information to be truly helpful.
7.  It is possible that the high start is too strong.  When combined with a hook that is too far back, the plane pitches up instantly into a power stall.  The plane has ground speed, but it is at 90 degrees to the direction the plane was designed to fly.  Power stalls can be ugly.  That may be what you suffered.

I have attached a couple of articles on Trimming you sailplane.  They are both in Word format.  You may not need these, but what the heck.  Let me know it they are helpful.

Sherman Knight
425-576-4028 wk pacific std time