I have a mechanical scrub brake now on my latest 16' machine and I will never put a machine up again without a mechanical brake. Furling tail is good, stop switch OK but very high resistance or worse an "open" in the line any where and you've lost the effectiveness of both.

  Anyone who has had this happen in high winds and was around at the time can attest to it being a very helpless feeling just waiting for self destruction. True, unless the mechanical brake is automatic in some way you still have to be around to activate it but it is an option I will not be without. If I just don't feel right about the weather forecast or anytime I'll be gone with any question about it, I'll lock it down and sleep very well indeed with that in mind.

  Obvious my opinion is to equip your machine with a mechanical means of locking the blade rotation. I was completely convinced when I watched my 12' start up (3 phases shorted - stop switch) and accelerate from zero to a measured 800+ RPM in 60+ MPH winds.

 Thanks for sharing and like you said it just might save a few stators and possibly worse distruction besides. The scenario is not a question of "if" it will happen to others but "when". The Dan's know this and had a story about one of theirs out there running "open" not too long ago. Keep us posted, I'm sure you'll have it flying again soon.  Dave B.