Grasshopper Winch Comparison


The remarkable mechanical winch

Comparison chart

How the Grasshopper winch compares to the two main methods of launching.

Feature	Grasshopper winch	Hi-start	Electric winch	Notes
Launch altitude	High	Moderate	Highest	6
Ease of setup	Easy	Easiest	Hardest
Ease of use	Easy	Easiest	Hardest
Ease of catching thermals	High	Moderate	Highest	4
Required field size (for same altitude)	Small	Medium	Small	1
Immune to UV	Yes	No	Yes
Adjustable tension	Yes	No	With skill	7
All energy goes into launch	Yes	No	Yes	2
Price	Medium	Low	High
Steady linear pull	Yes	No	With skill
One device for varying plane sizes	Yes	No	With skill
Minimizes stress on plane	Yes	No	With skill	5
Minimizes walking dist per launch height	Yes	No	Yes	3
Eliminates cumbersome turn-around pulley	Yes	Yes	No
Carrying weight	13 lbs	~3 lbs	~75 lbs (w/car bat.)
Eliminates need to charge battery	Yes	Yes	No
Eliminates interruption of discharged battery	Yes	Yes	No
Useable in cold weather	Yes	Degrades ~45F	Yes
Complete system	Yes	Sometimes	Sometimes

Notes:
(1) Hi-starts take more field space due to the high non-linearity and the sagging of the rubber.
(2) In a hi-start significant energy is wasted lifting the tubing and dragging the tubing along the ground. The weight of the rubber imparts some extra energy at the end of the tow but most of the energy in lifting the rubber is lost.
(3) There is less walking because of the linearity. In a hi-start your initial steps don't add much energy to the system.
(4) It's easier to catch thermals if you launch higher.
(5) With a hi-start one tends to pull up to the limit that the plane can take since most of the energy is applied in the first part of the launch. With a linear pull winch you can setup for slightly less stress and still launch higher since full pull continues throughout the launch.
(6) Launches higher than most hi-starts because hi-starts have a "point of no return" on length. At a certain length, making them longer has no benefit. The reason is that the ground friction energy loss increases with length.
(7) Allows use as a standard tow or bungee style launch and to fine tune to your plane.

Close-up of spring and internal connector.

The Grasshopper winch gives highest launches for lighter planes - HLG and 2M. Very high launches are possible with planes weighing around 1 lb and moderate height around 2 lbs. At 3 lbs or more the advantage over a hi-start depends on the hi-start. The winch is supplied with 250 yards of tow line - you can use any amount of line.