Quick release - what kind of knot?

[gkainz]

So my ship captain, retired army ground pounder brother and I were playing with knots during a lull in the fishing last week, and the "how to secure the tail of a plane with a quick release knot while hand-propping" came up ... neither of us could come up with a good knot for this. Anyone have a diagram, web reference or explanation?

 

[Dave Krall CFII]

So my ship captain, retired army ground pounder brother and I were playing with knots during a lull in the fishing last week, and the "how to secure the tail of a plane with a quick release knot while hand-propping" came up ... neither of us could come up with a good knot for this. Anyone have a diagram, web reference or explanation?

I've used the aviator's hitch modified by never actually bringing the rope end fully through, so that pulling on the end can undo the whole thing -Wil E. Coyote taught it to me.

 

[Richard]

Sliding sheet bend (sliding, locking, exploding, non-whimpering).

This knot has to be studied closely to see its kinship to the sheet bend. If you don't see the resemblance, don't bother; just enjoy it. (It should not be used like a regular sheet bend to join two different lengths of cord.)

When mastered, this knot is not only very easy, but enjoyable to tie, leading the hand into unusual, efficient hand-gestures. A few twists, with almost no pokes or pulls, and you are done. Until mastered, however, it will often fall apart in your hands before it is finished. Tighten flat, not in a ball. It can make so tight a grip on the standing part that you may have to unlock it a bit before it slides. That should give you some comfort if you use it as a taut-line to hold your clean wet clothes.

Make a bight in the standing part between the spar and your load. Grab the running part (already wrapped around the spar) and make a loop in it by twisting counterclockwise. Slide the original bight through this loop, making a new loop on the other side. (With practice, this step can be done in the same counterclockwise twist that created the loop.) Stick a bight of the running part through this new loop, and tighten by pulling on the standing part.
Lock by holding the knot and pulling on the non-sliding line. Unlock by pulling the two sliding ends apart hard, or by flattening the knot.


I actually prefer a single half hitch for it's simplicity. Care must be taken to maintain a load on the hitch or it will spill. Actually, that is part of the attraction, it spills the moment the load is removed.

 

[W.O'Boogie]

Sliding sheet bend (sliding, locking, exploding, non-whimpering).

This knot has to be studied closely to see its kinship to the sheet bend. If you don't see the resemblance, don't bother; just enjoy it. (It should not be used like a regular sheet bend to join two different lengths of cord.)

When mastered, this knot is not only very easy, but enjoyable to tie, leading the hand into unusual, efficient hand-gestures. A few twists, with almost no pokes or pulls, and you are done. Until mastered, however, it will often fall apart in your hands before it is finished. Tighten flat, not in a ball. It can make so tight a grip on the standing part that you may have to unlock it a bit before it slides. That should give you some comfort if you use it as a taut-line to hold your clean wet clothes.

Make a bight in the standing part between the spar and your load. Grab the running part (already wrapped around the spar) and make a loop in it by twisting counterclockwise. Slide the original bight through this loop, making a new loop on the other side. (With practice, this step can be done in the same counterclockwise twist that created the loop.) Stick a bight of the running part through this new loop, and tighten by pulling on the standing part.
Lock by holding the knot and pulling on the non-sliding line. Unlock by pulling the two sliding ends apart hard, or by flattening the knot.


I actually prefer a single half hitch for it's simplicity. Care must be taken to maintain a load on the hitch or it will spill. Actually, that is part of the attraction, it spills the moment the load is removed.

That is a good knot for the purpose proposed. We used it to keep our RIB alongside in port.

 

[igottafly]

Here is how to tie the QUICK RELEASE KNOT.
First, grasp the line and pass it doubled through the eye as shown below.

​

Next, grasp the line on the other side of the bow eye and double it then pass it through the loop formed in the previous step.

​

The QUICK RELEASE KNOT is completely tied in the above step. The pic below shows the knot cinched up but not completely tightened.

​

By pulling on the end, the knot unties

 

[gkainz]

So 'splain sumthin' to me ... when hand propping with the tail tied down, is there a quick release knot on the tail and the padeye, so one can retrieve your line, or just the tail and one leaves the line secured to the padeye?

 

[W.O'Boogie]

So 'splain sumthin' to me ... when hand propping with the tail tied down, is there a quick release knot on the tail and the padeye, so one can retrieve your line, or just the tail and one leaves the line secured to the padeye?

Greg, we used to use a self returning line. We'd take a couple of turns on the bollard or over the ears of a cleat on the pier, keeping both ends of the line on the ship. Let go the bitter end and haul it in.

Short of that, use a stick in a loop, and pull the stick with a small line.

 

[gkainz]

That one I follow - spent a week on a boat in Canada with my brother and did the same thing when shoving off from the dock. They didn't make me touch lines in the Navy - airdales don't know nuthin 'bout ships (except when they're called "TARGETS"!)

 

[Richard]

Short of that, use a stick in a loop, and pull the stick with a small line.

That stick is called a toggle and it's excellent when placed in the bight. Chinese buttons on clothing (or the old pea coats) made great use of the toggle in a bight. Either physically pull the toggle out of the bight or relax the tension on the line and the toggle will fall out.

Greg in a plane may not want to haul away on a great length of line. The only thing I can think of is to either have a 2nd person release the slipped hitch at the pad eye, or to release tension in some manner at the slipped hitch. Otherwise, run the bitter end up forward near the cockpit to release the hitch from there. But that means you'd have 10-20 of line trailing the a/c.

 

[gkainz]

That trailing line is what I'm trying to figure out... granted, this is all just a mental exercise, but inquiring minds want to know "how did they do that?" in regards to the one guy all alone hand propping his cub and avoiding it running him down

 

[fgcason]

That trailing line is what I'm trying to figure out... granted, this is all just a mental exercise, but inquiring minds want to know "how did they do that?" in regards to the one guy all alone hand propping his cub and avoiding it running him down

Put a sliding sheet bend on the tail tiedown.
Take the standing end of the rope and run that to the tree, pole or whatever and make a second sliding sheet bend around the stationary object.
Note: The standing end of both knots are connected, the running ends are loose.
Roll the plane forward to tension the line and secure the knots better.
Take both running ends to the plane with you.
Hand prop the plane and get in.
Pull one rope end to release that loop. Drop that end of the rope on the ground.
Pull the remaining end to release the other end.
Pull the rope into the plane.
The rope is completely in the plane, nothing hanging in the breeze.
Done.

 

[gkainz]

Thanks, Frank! Nicely done! Now, how many ways can I use a sliding sheet bend to lash panniers to a mule next month?

 

[fgcason]

Now, how many ways can I use a sliding sheet bend to lash panniers to a mule next month?

So that's what this is really all about isn't it?

4,387 give or take 294 depending on the mule, type of panniers and what's in them.

 

[gkainz]

...depending on ...what's in them.

shhh, don't tell anyone, but it will be elk ....

 

[Henning]

So my ship captain, retired army ground pounder brother and I were playing with knots during a lull in the fishing last week, and the "how to secure the tail of a plane with a quick release knot while hand-propping" came up ... neither of us could come up with a good knot for this. Anyone have a diagram, web reference or explanation?

I see someone beat me. Sliding sheep bend would be the best knot to use, but if it's a non electric plane tat always requires propping, I'd advocate putting a banner tow hook on the back of the plane so you can release from the pilots seat. That's what I set up anyway.