What is a payout winch?
Have you ever flown a kite where you run along paying out string from a ball as you ran while the kite climbs? Similarly, a payout winch is a winch which is mounted in the back of a truck or on a trailer, and pays out line as the hang glider gets higher. The line tension is maintained by the use of a disk brake from a motorcycle or car which is mounted on the side of the winch drum. The amount of drag the disk brake exerts is controlled by the winch operator but if set generally remains constant for all payout speeds.
Have you ever flown a kite where you run along paying out string from a ball as you ran while the kite climbs? Similarly, a payout winch is a winch which is mounted in the back of a truck or on a trailer, and pays out line as the hangglider gets higher. The line tension is maintained by the use of a disk brake from a motorcycle or car which is mounted on the side of the winch drum. The amount of drag the disk brake exerts is controlled by the winch operator but if set generally remains constant for all payout speeds.
