I would like to make a banner to tow behind a plane for our club fun fly. I've got the plane to do the work, but would like any ideas on how to build it so it will follow the tow plane upright like the ones we see around sporting events...

Thanks
Murphey

OK, it's pretty easy.


First, you need a length of banner material....nylon, cotton or whatever. A .40-sized model will easily tow a banner that is about 8 feet long x 1 foot high...rough guide. I've towed bits of old bed-sheet with messages daubed on quite roughly. Household paint is quick and cheap. But, your first experiments don't require a slogan, I guess.

At the front of the banner, you affix a stick, onto which your towing bridle is attached. The stick will, ideally, sit in a pocket which you have sewn into the front of the banner. The stick will ride vertically if you fasten a weight to its base; a couple of ounces will be OK. The towing bridle is fixed to the extremes of the stick. (This is really tricky to describe without pictures.)

So, to labour the point. A single tow-line, perhaps 15 m in length, is fixed to the model's tail. A couple of feet from the banner, the tow-line is bifurcated. One leg is fastened to the top of the stick and one leg to the base of the stick.

The tail of the banner will flap about quite madly unless you can tame it. A few cuts, longitudinally, should help. It will then resemble a kite's tail, except multipally. Or, you can fasten a length of nylon mesh to the tail of the banner...haven't tried this, but I believe that it works.

You can tow from the tail of the model without any problems, but it would be wise to fit a release mechanism....but not vital, as you can readily land with the banner attached; and plenty of power on!

For take-off, lay out the banner and tow line so that they are in front (and to one side) of the model on the runway. In this way, as the model rolls along the runway, the banner and line will gradually "unfurl".....the load will be taken up progressively.

Hope this makes sense to you.

Perfect! Thanks for the reply! I'll give it a try, should work,
Murphey

My only experience is from years ago, and we found that a slow turning motor of big H.P. worked best. Too mush turbulance in behind the A/C and the banner rotated no matter what we tried.

We also could not get the banner to unfurl like envisioned. The ground tended to twist up the tow cord. Thus went to simple hand launching and that solved the one situation.

Did not use muslin sheets, as past experience showed it to be too heavy or too much on drag. I think it soaked up the moisture in air too well. Tried some white window curtains, which are airy and light and have gone with that ever since.



Wm.

Thanks! I agree that a "mesh like" material would be better along with a long tow line to mitigate the turbulence on the banner. What about a stabelizer on the top of the tow bar? would that help stop the banner from rotating?
Thanks
Murphey

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_16...tm.htm#1665265

A mesh material would probably be great. Full-sized use an open mesh.

There will be more work involved in fabricating the lettering, though.

I haven't had a banner rotate; the weight on the base of the "tow bar" prevents that from happening.