LAUNCH YOUR SAILPLANE INTO LOW-EARTH ORBIT WITH A COMET WINCH!!!
PRECISION FABRICATED FROM TIG WELDED MILD STEEL AND CNC MACHINED ALUMINUM

 

COMET WINCH WORKS components are produced for the RC sailplane enthusiast who wants only the best parts to build his own winch at reduced cost or refurbish an older winch in need of an upgrade.
We do not sell complete winches. You supply your own Ford longshaft motor, solenoids and wiring to assemble your Comet Winch and go flying!

Our kits are precision cut and only the best materials are used. We 
produce only high performance parts for the enthusiast ....you!
 

Our own COMET WINCH WORKS prototype has been in service for five seasons now. This unit has proven itself to be powerful and reliable as well as easy to transport and stow. This is the basis for our COMET WINCH design.

 

 

 

TWIN SOLENOID DESIGN, COMPACT FOOTPRINT, ALUMINUM AND STEEL CONSTRUCTION.  

 

MASTER SWITCH AND SAFETY LED'S MOUNTED ON THE OTTAWA RADIO CONTROL CLUB (ORCC) CLUB WINCH

 

 

• COMET WINCH KITS ARE DESIGNED TO BE USED WITH STANDARD FORD LONG SHAFT MOTORS, EITHER LESTER'S REFERENCE NO.'s 3110 OR 3115. THESE MOTORS ARE THE STANDARD MOTORS USED FOR THERMAL DURATION SAILPLANE WINCHES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA. 
  
   

• NEED A FORD LONGSHAFT MOTOR TO COMPLETE YOUR COMET WINCH KIT? DO A GOOGLE OR EBAY SEARCH FOR "FORD 3110" OR "FORD 3115" AND YOU'LL FIND SEVERAL SUPPLIERS...

        

COMET WINCH WORKS COMPONENTS

Available Comet Winch components are:

• Comet Winch kit frame and aluminum spool

• Machined BILLET aluminum ball bearing end caps

COMET WINCH WORKS Winch Frame

 - Tig welded mild steel frame predrilled for dual solenoids and ground stakes, CNC cut 1/4" thick aluminum endplates,  1" diameter aluminum handle.

             

                 At left - CNC milling machine cutting out a winch endplate, material is now 1/4" aluminum.
At right -  Endplates shown next to prototype COMET winch.
See a short clip of the milling operations HERE.
              

Completed winch frames ready for delivery, just paint the steel base, install your Ford
longshaft, spool, solenoids and wiring and you're on your way!!!

 The COMET WINCH WORKS Spool -
All machined aluminum, 1/4" thick side plates for durability and strength, 2" diameter center section. Only the best hardware throughout. 

• At left above, spool components ready for COMET WINCH WORKS engraving.

• At right above, spool endplate getting the CNC treatment...

• Below left, final truing, balancing and polishing of a spool on the "ol' gal", our mid-1960's 13" South Bend lathe. 

• Below right, custom keyed and engraved spool for TEAM 2193 First Robotics team of Hilltop High School San Diego Cailf.  

                 

The COMET WINCH WORKS BALL BEARING ENDCAPS -  
Designed to reduce friction and ensure battery longevity for those long days at the field! Our machined aluminum ball bearing end caps are spun from 6061-T6 aircraft grade aluminum and are just the thing to get your Ford longshaft motor running at top efficiency. All parts are bolt-on and easily install on 3110 AND 3115 FORD LONGSHAFT motors in minutes!
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us before ordering!  

The COMET WINCH WORKS WINCH KIT - 

OK, so what do I get and what do I need to complete my winch?  
 
What you get...
-Tig welded mild steel frame primed and ready for paint
- CNC machined 6061 T-6 aluminum endplates and 1'' diameter aluminum handle.
- Adjustable drag type brake. Arm, belt and end clips.
-Precision machined 6061 T-6 aluminum COMET WINCH WORKS spool with 2" center.

- NOTE - all of our kit components are supplied in 'mill finish' .  Aluminum is a soft material and can come from the mill with minor blemishes. As the Comet winch is sold as a kit, 
all cosmetic finishing is the responsibility of the Comet kit builder.

What you need - what you need to do...
-A suitable 3110/3115 Ford Longshaft starter motor. 
-The frame comes with the 4.1" motor mount hole to allow you to locate your Ford long shaft motor, all you have to do is mark and drill your motor mount bolt holes.
-1200 to 1400 ft of nylon braided winch line along with a suitable parachute.
- Linemaster Clipper or equivalent foot switch.
- Appropriate length battery cables and wiring along with two solenoids (Blue Streak SS588 or equivalent). These are available from the AUTOZONE or ADVANCE AUTO PARTS nearest you . The application is mid 60's to 80's Ford car or truck with a 'remote'  fender mounted solenoid. ( i.e.: STANDARD AUTO PRODUCTS solenoid part no. SS588)
- Wiring. Again here, appropriate length pre-made battery cables are available from your local auto parts store. 
- Add LED warning lights to your winch and launch with peace of mind.
See Andrew Mileski's excellent web pages on wiring LED's on sailplane winches here and here. 
- Turnaround pulley - see how you can adapt a large flange front bicycle hub to build an economical turnaround at the bottom of this webpage.
-A deep cycle marine 12 v battery 

COMET WINCH WORKS PRICE LIST AS OF APRIL 1ST, 2012
-AS OF JULY 2009, ALL ORDERS WILL REQUIRE A 100% DEPOSIT. 
-ALL ORDERS ARE CUSTOM ASSEMBLED ON AN 'AS ORDERED' BASIS
- PayPal IS NOW ACCEPTED ON ALL ORDERS

IMPORTANT NOTE: 
THE SPRING 2012 WINCH KIT PRODUCTION RUN HAS ALREADY SOLD OUT! 
TO GET ONTO THE WAITING LIST FOR THE NEXT 
PRODUCTION RUN, EMAIL ME AT THE LINK BELOW !

ALL PRICES ARE F.O.B. MONTREAL Qc. IN US$  CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION

LAUNCHING AN ICARE SAILPLANES HERA INTO ORBIT WITH A COMET WINCH !!!

NO LONGER AVAILABLE BUT ILLUSTRATED TO HELP YOU 
ENVISION AND BUILD AN EASY AFFORDABLE TURNAROUND 

-The fastest and easiest way to fab a turnaround is to acquire the following components:
i) a front bicycle hub from an old 10 speed bike- preferably an aluminum large flange hub as shown below
ii) two large size u-bolts from Home Hardware or Home Depot
iii) an approximately 10" x 10" piece of 3/4" plywood and 
iv) a set of aluminum angle plate hub supports

Assemble the components as shown below and VOILA! You have an affordable and durable turnaround!

SITE UPDATED 2012-04-20