I am preparing to get back into control line flying and have a two planes ready to go. I will be attemping to fly by myself since none of my friends are flyers and I'm not to close to any C/L clubs. Does anybody have plans for building a STOOGE or some sort of launching system that would be fail safe??? Help would be greatly appriecated.

Order the Tru-Launch stooge from Brodak or Virginia Hobbysport. Attach it securely to the end of a 2' x 4' piece of 3/8" plywood. That way the plane will sit on the plywood base and cannot move until the string is pulled. Use hot pink or orange colored mason's line, which doesn't stretch and can be seen on the ground. I use some that I got from Home Depot already wound on a spindle with a handle. I like the Tru-Launch because it is spring loaded and requires a strong, but smooth, pull to release; less danger of an inadvertant launch. Have fun; be safe! Glen

I use a big spike with wire wound around the top and made into two loops. I have a stooge line like Glen describes, but mine is muddy brown from years of use. There is wire pin about 6 inches long which goes through the two stooge loops and the loop on your airplane. I leave some loose line next to the airplane so that I have to take up some slack before the pin comes out. I throw the stooge line handle away from me so that it does not get entangled in my feet (been there, done that[:-]) If the airplane does not release as planed, just stand there holding the handle and thinking pleasant thoughts until the engine stops. No system is foolproof, so think about what you are doing and why, and do it the same, without fail, every time.

One downside to flying by yourself is that you cannot concentrate on flying as much as you might like as you have to maintain situational awareness of what is going on around you. Also if anything goes wrong, you deal with it on your own.

I homebuilt my stooge, but to make things simple I use an empty carpenter's chalkline to activate, rolls up easy, and it never tangles!

Tom

My stooge sounds very similar to Jim's, just a spike about 8" long made from a piece of old metal brake line with a wire hose clamp screwed into the end of the tube using the clamp's tightening screw. The tailhook sits between the two loops of the clamp and the release pin then slides through the tailhook and the pin has a safety wire soldered to it so it can't vibrate loose. This has been totally reliable with my 60 powered stunters but of course I only fly from grass.