What is the best way to launch a glider?
Hi-Start? What's that? Are you talking about the giant rubber band, stake, and the special tensioner tool? Or am I thinking of something else?
Anyways, I've had great luck with this setup in the past. When I was much younger I got a sailplane for Christmas (This is about 1992). It was an RTF styrofoam 1-channel glider. Only rudder control. I had no problems getting the plane aloft with this setup, and it went really, really high. Of course, with no aerilon control and thermals being only wishful thinking, flight always ended up being just a barely controlled descent. I crashed the thing (and epoxied it back together) probably 20 times. I basically crashed (and broke something) every third flight. I still had loads of fun with it. I actually still have it today, but the last crash broke the reciever circuit board, and I haven't soldered it back together yet.
My plan is to convert the glider to a 2-channel setup, and then mounting some rocket engines on the sides of the glider. A couple of D or E engines should bring the thing aloft without the need of the giant rubber band (which by this time is cracked and useless with age). I've also considered a power pod as well, with a cox .049 engine and an extra large fuel tank on top of the wing.
Charles.