Hi -
I don't know if you guys are familiar with banner towing airplanes (real airplanes) I want to try the same thing with my rc airplane. my idea is to go to the local party store and pick up those letters that spell "happy birthday" - then rig a 6 foot nylon line with a hook at the end and try to hook up the banner.

I used to do ground support for a banner towing company so I know exactly how to rig this up.

has anyone ever seen this done? any thoughts out there?
this should be a lot of fun

Lots of folks have done it. One thing I would suggest it to have a release so you can drop it in case of a problem and/or before landing

Spent one interesting summer back in the eighties sometime dragging banners up and down the beachs from Santa Monica to Newport Dunes as well as around and around the colosium. Used Cessna 152's converted with 150 horsepower lycomings and extended range Flint tanks in the wingtips. It was always interesting passing under the departure path at LAX just off shore where departure control kept us under a two hundred foot cap.

Oh man sorry for the digression, its always fun remembering. Anyway back to what you are doing. First I have never pulled RC banner but have spent considerble time at both ends of a towline RC glider aerotowing. The one point I would like to point out is it is not really neccessary for you to use the full scale method of taking off with a secured grapple hook and then releasing for a pickup pass at a briddle line between poles. Typicallty in RC a banner is folded accordian fashion or rolled and with a rubber band or strap that is released in flight with a servo release thereby eliminating the problems of a briddle pickup, which is even more difficult in RC than full scale. Of course you do need a relase for the briddle leader line.

John

What I have seen done is to have the banner laid out in front of the plane slightly off to one side so that as you start to roll, you're not dragging yet, but as you move down the runway you gradually increase the amount of banner you're pulling

How would you set up the banner to keep it nice and vertical so that it could be read correctly? Our combat streamers, thin and flimsy, twist the string all up.

The planes are usually larger trainer types with a pretty good size engine

the fun part is doing it like real life banner towers. They come around and hook the banner with their tail hook like. To keep the banner straight I would put a small weight on the bottom of the front of the batter, this way the banner is not flat.

I can't wait!!!!! haha

Here's a basic setup

Yet another great illustration from the guys at getting airborne. I kinda thought that might be the way to do it.

MinnFlyer -!!!!! awesome!!!!!!!! thank's a lot

How about this?

http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/r...6/IRCHA_61.JPG
http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/r...6/IRCHA_62.JPG

That's cheating Andy!

Hey Minnflyer just hover your plane and you can do the same thing.

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How's everyone. I used to tow banners in real airplanes as well. I also tow with R/C, exactly how the real ones do it. I have a setup on an ultra stick to deploy a hook (I modified a fishing hook), I "swoop down" and catch the banner. Then, before i land, I release it. I took a video of it flying. Let me know if anyone has questions on my setup. Here is the link to my video. I am towing a twin-sized bedsheet with a 1.60 FX (standard muffler, with a climb prop). It acts very scale with the banner. Here is my video taken about 6 months ago. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDcF0S3UhhQ

I was asked by my high school (I`m still a student) to tug a banner, I was wondering about the feasibility and how I`d do it if it was possible, my best for the job would likely be my E-Flite Aprentice, and I only have the Dx5 so I cant make the set-up too complex