I am looking for plans on how to build a a "T" shaped startup stand like I have seen at several fields.

Someone said the plans were available through AMA, but I have not been able to find them.

Jim

Here ya go Jim:<div>
</div><div>http://www.meroke.com/sbbuildinginstructions.htm</div><div>
</div><div>Good luck!</div><div>
</div><div>Pat</div>

Thanks' thats just what I was looking for.

Jim

Big Jim63265
My club built about 8 of the MEROKE stands and found out that after a few years they started to fall apart. I studied the design and saw some weaknesses and offered them to MEROKE. They declined to make the changes so I drew up my own plans. You can download them free from my club website at wilsonrc.org as http://www.wilsonrc.org/download.php?list.18. My first stand is now about 4 years old and seems to be as strong as when it was built. We now have 5 of the new design stands at our club. The 3 or 4 remaining old design stands are in very bad shape and we hope to replace then soon. I hope to get 20 years service out of our new design stands.

Jim;

We made these same stands in Temple, we added wheels on the front 2 Legs to ease moving when cutting grass, if you add wheels, get decent metal Lawnmower wheels with rubber or plastic tires, the plastic wheels don't last; and make the rear leg a bit longer to compensate for the height of the wheels.

Doug.

We have 12 of the original stands at our field and they are the best things we ever did. I think these stands are the best thing safety wise, that has happened to this hobby.

Hi rc-sport
I fully agree with your safety point. I think the majority is still on the other side, though.
Can you imagine starting a 60 size engine or larger, that is unknowingly at full throttle, the old fashioned way; without a stand? They quickly point out that the engine should be at idle. Well, accidents usually involve doing stupid things. It has happened to me at least three times in the past 5 years or so. All of those planes were on the safety stands. Some people just have to see more blood.

I built the first one with my own money because all the old timers said the stands were not needed and would be nothing but a pain to move when they mowed. I built it, brought it to the field and within 3 weeks the old timers were building more. They realised they didn't have to start a plane on their knees anymore and it was easier and safer to work on their plane standing up. We added wheels in the front to make it easier to move for mowing. Since then we added hooks to hang our radios on.

Thanks for all the input about the stands. I am going to look at all the verations and then go from there. I had already desided that we would put wheels on the front to make them easer to move, but I hadn't thought about adding to the heighth of the rear leg or I guess we could make the front legs shorter to keep it level.

I am just glad to see the weather warming up so we can enjoy another great summer of flying. I got to fly Saturday and Sunday of last week end, but it was a might brezzey Sunday with 25 MPH quarting wind.