The Cloud Street tow winch is designed to be a robust work horse of a winch capable of towing people aloft, without fail, until everyone is too tired or has had their fill for the day. It provides very smooth payout combined with a steady controlled tension regardless of payout speed. This winch is also fitted with the fastest rewind available for quick turn around and very tight line stacking which contributes greatly to the smooth payout behavior. The Cloud Street tow winch is designed to handle both solo towing as well as tandem towing and can provide tensions in the neighborhood of 220 lbs (~98 DaN) continuously, which incidentally will likely be more than you will ever need in terms of towing paragliders and hang gliders. To top it off, this unit has been designed to adapt to a standard 2” trailer hitch and can be easily transfered between vehicles and is also compact enough to fit in most recreational boats without extensive modification.

The Design Process

The design philosophy was to keep the system as simple to use and operate, and as robust as possible. The design is a result of several iterations using 3D CAD software and finite element analysis to find the most efficient frame geometry and lightest configuration possible. Justin Brim provided the the engineering, design, and fabrication work while Chris Santacroce, the towing expert, provided the practical experience and knowledge of towing to give input and testing feedback. With a strong passion for flight and a healthy dose of determination and hard testing, they have made sure that the Cloud Street Winch is built for the long haul.