types of stooges

In Bob Z's post, I was reminded of the friction that my simple homemade design has. Mine is a 1/4" X 10" X 10" steel plate, with a pair of steel eye-bolts placed 1" apart, which capture the single looped .030" piano wire trailing from the rear. The pin is simply pulled with a 60' "snap-line" twine that is pink, and highly visible.
Al Rabe mentioned a "spring" device that I haven't seen. Any pics available?

Mine works the same way, except it is a long nail with wire wrapped and bent around the head to make the two loops. My snapline string was yellow 30 years ago. Now it is invisible in the grass.

Jim

LAST EDITED ON Nov-19-04 AT 03:23 PM (CST)
 
Check the photo in topic 11236 " Stooge design"- it shows a spring loaded release pin type of stooge.

My stooge works the same way, except that my plywood platform is 2' X 4'. The planes sits on the plywood, so there is no need to stake it down. For taller grass, I lay out two 2' X 6' pieces of plywood in a slight arc for a runway. Of course, the piece to the rear always laps over the one in front of it by about an inch to keep the wheels from hanging up. This can be made out of one 4'x 8' piece of plywood.
Seems to work well.
Glen

I have not flown off a stooge for several months. This afternoon I went out and put up three flights off my stooge. I kind of fumbled around because I had partially forgotten how I do things. Pretty well organized by the third flight, however. If you have an established routine and follow it, things usually work pretty well. It is when you change your routine that things are likely to go bad. I think this is an important point about safety in general.

Jim

The best stooge I've found is my friend Patrick, He's a short Leprechaun looking guy.(He reminds me of Side Show Bob on the Simpsons) I gave him a Ukey and now when ever I want to go Fly I just call him.
Having a real live stooge has it's advantages. You can holler at them when your ready and they help you carry stuff.

Give one of your friends an airplane, besides getting a huge smile and a Thank You, You will be allot safer in the long run.

Here's mine. It works. Has an old mouse pad glued on the bottom for some traction on pavement.

What a good idea Randy. What's in the 'box'? How much does it weigh? Is the release spring loaded?
Adrian

Adrian,

The mechanism is a CSC unit. Would be pretty east to make and does have a spring. The "box" has a 12"x12"x2" steel plate. Weighs about 40 lbs, though you could probably use less. I picked up 8 of these at a steel supplier in the area. They were scrap ends they had laying around. The box is poplar that I got at a local Home Depot (or it could have been Lowes). Pretty easy to make, but don't forget the old mouse pad on the bottom. You need it if you fly off pavement.

Just found these stooges for combat models. very interesting

http://clcombat.info/stooge.html

Regards

Mike