Launch Stooge
03-29-2002, 07:27 PM
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Launch Stooge
Originally posted by JohnBuckner
Don wish I had the ability to post pictures. The stooge is just a couple of hinged pieces of wood half inch square an maybe four inchs long. they are hinged to fold forward about an inch up from the quarter ply base and the hinge pin is supported by Alum L brackets. They are around three inchs apart to just allow the V tail fit between. When the arms fold forward to the horizontal position bottom of the arm moves to the rear and up this allows the tail to clear the horizontal arms by a half inch. At the bottom of the arms in the rear is a trangular catch paw that is hinged for and aft to allow the paw to catch the bottom of the arms, cords pull the paws to the sides and allow the arms to fold flat and release. These cords run on both sides to eye hooks and to the rear about a foot to two more eye hooks then forward to a simple pedal. The Release arms both have a rubber band attached to pull it horizontal as well as a light spring on the pedal pulling to the release position. These were neccessary to assure a clean release when the more powerful airplanes were launched. What would happen with these ships is the paw friction would increase aginst the arm and release was difficult without the spring.
am now using it on an almost daily basis with four different design TT engined Quickees and works very reliably . Have done just a few launchs with Nelson/bird of pray and a Nemi Q with no problems as well. The thing is nailed to the ground with two double head 16's each day. Boyd calls it 'Buckys Hole Shot'.
I also use a stooge for my Ukies that is the string and keyring setup to a simple pelican hook nailed to the ground with a long release cord. The trouble with this set up is to get reliable releases its necessary to use a metal keyring on the string (the part that stays on the airplane) just a loop tied in the string usually causes release problems and the ring trailing behind will flail about to much for my taste. So with pylon ships I didn,t want to go this way.
Stepping on the string thing Dave mentioned on asphalt I suspect would work quite well but on grass the guys were talking about would probably be very risky. Unless you had a very large diameter cord it would be easy to forget to push hard enough with yoiur foot while trying to get into position and have the thing depart before you had your thumbs in position.
I can picture four guys lined up trying to simulate a race and have that happen.
Some guys are just never satisfied, can you beleve it ? Boyd is now trying to convince me figure out how to set it up so it would trigger a timer also at the release and ring a bell at some predetermined target time!! You know I,ll bet Rube Goldberg never flew pylon.
John
Oh Don your concern about shear loads on the Nemi Q tail is not a concern since the tail is set in a molded recess and all shear loads to the rear are taken by that lip.
Don wish I had the ability to post pictures. The stooge is just a couple of hinged pieces of wood half inch square an maybe four inchs long. they are hinged to fold forward about an inch up from the quarter ply base and the hinge pin is supported by Alum L brackets. They are around three inchs apart to just allow the V tail fit between. When the arms fold forward to the horizontal position bottom of the arm moves to the rear and up this allows the tail to clear the horizontal arms by a half inch. At the bottom of the arms in the rear is a trangular catch paw that is hinged for and aft to allow the paw to catch the bottom of the arms, cords pull the paws to the sides and allow the arms to fold flat and release. These cords run on both sides to eye hooks and to the rear about a foot to two more eye hooks then forward to a simple pedal. The Release arms both have a rubber band attached to pull it horizontal as well as a light spring on the pedal pulling to the release position. These were neccessary to assure a clean release when the more powerful airplanes were launched. What would happen with these ships is the paw friction would increase aginst the arm and release was difficult without the spring.
am now using it on an almost daily basis with four different design TT engined Quickees and works very reliably . Have done just a few launchs with Nelson/bird of pray and a Nemi Q with no problems as well. The thing is nailed to the ground with two double head 16's each day. Boyd calls it 'Buckys Hole Shot'.
I also use a stooge for my Ukies that is the string and keyring setup to a simple pelican hook nailed to the ground with a long release cord. The trouble with this set up is to get reliable releases its necessary to use a metal keyring on the string (the part that stays on the airplane) just a loop tied in the string usually causes release problems and the ring trailing behind will flail about to much for my taste. So with pylon ships I didn,t want to go this way.
Stepping on the string thing Dave mentioned on asphalt I suspect would work quite well but on grass the guys were talking about would probably be very risky. Unless you had a very large diameter cord it would be easy to forget to push hard enough with yoiur foot while trying to get into position and have the thing depart before you had your thumbs in position.
I can picture four guys lined up trying to simulate a race and have that happen.Some guys are just never satisfied, can you beleve it ? Boyd is now trying to convince me figure out how to set it up so it would trigger a timer also at the release and ring a bell at some predetermined target time!! You know I,ll bet Rube Goldberg never flew pylon.
John
Oh Don your concern about shear loads on the Nemi Q tail is not a concern since the tail is set in a molded recess and all shear loads to the rear are taken by that lip.
I think I have it figured out, and one answer will tell me if I'm on the right path.
Where is the pedal hinged, and do you press on the front or back of the pedal to release the plane.
I tried to come up a better solution (of course
), but the major challenge is that you don't won't to raise the tail of the plane any more than is neccessary. This requires an independent holder on each side, and the challenge is to synchronize the holders, yet make them strong enough and have a positive release.
03-30-2002, 01:13 AM
#2
Pedal
Don the pedal is about a foot to the rear of the tail and simply a piece of ply about two by six hinged with two cabinets hinges on the long side at the rear. it just folds flat and forward when you step on it. the The cords from the release pawls run to the side eyescrews then to the rear to two more eyescrews and forward agine to the pedal, so that as the pedal is moved forward and down it pulls on the cords. The trick here was to get enough movement on the cords the mechanical advantage was increased by attaching them to four inch sticks as extentions of the pedal. Both arms are separate and released independently by its respective pawl, with the spring and rubber bands it has never had a failed release in this final form. OBO the airplanes tailskid is only off the ground the thickness of the 1/4 inch ply base.
Tell you what tomorrow I,ll get some photos at the field of both type launchers with my new Racer 11 that should do its first flights in the morning (Bill ought to love that ). Give me a few days to get them back and I,ll e mail them to you if I can get my daughter to do it or snail mail.
John
Tell you what tomorrow I,ll get some photos at the field of both type launchers with my new Racer 11 that should do its first flights in the morning (Bill ought to love that
). Give me a few days to get them back and I,ll e mail them to you if I can get my daughter to do it or snail mail.John
03-30-2002, 02:15 AM
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Launch Stooge
John,
I've already drawn what I think the forward part of the unit looks like. The pedal details were important to me determining what the back half looks like. I think I have it now. I'll post a drawing this weekend. But take the pictures in case I'm way off base. (base, get it 
)
I've already drawn what I think the forward part of the unit looks like. The pedal details were important to me determining what the back half looks like. I think I have it now. I'll post a drawing this weekend. But take the pictures in case I'm way off base.
(base, get it )
