At the meeting there was strong interest from a number of people in the room.

Besides being too small for really large rockets, the bicycle wheel tower is also pretty short. I'd sure love to see a taller tower to reduce weathercocking for those long-burning motors.

If we get a bigger tower for larger-diameter rockets, can we still make it compatible with 24mm rockets?

Adrian, my hunch is that a tower that is capable of bigger rockets may not be well suited for smaller rockets. As you know, I am interested in both. The engineering likely means two separate towers.

BTW, I also have a larger bicycle tower - bigger rims and longer pieces of conduit. It is 60" tall. There is too much "play" in it when you get down below 54mm.

My suggestion for smaller towers is that we simply replace the existing conduit with longer pieces of conduit? I believe that tower could be made taller very quickly and inexpensively. I feel strongly that we need to be able to handle 24mm up through 3 or 4".

Yes there was a discussion in the Annual Club meeting. In fact it was I that made the request for addition and re-vamping of the club towers to revive the older ones as well as build some newer ones that are capable of 3 and 4 inch projects. It seems that the club is headed in the direction to get windows again. Even at that having such equipment still can be used with a lower waiver on those projects with smaller motors to keep them with in the waiver but still allow our flyer's to be able to test and tune or just fly those projects. James Russell and Dave Hanson Made note that the TC club has 2 different towers capable of such 3 and 4 " projects. But not sure what that would means for NCR. Weather we would borrow or acquire them from TC, and then we would need to know the condition I believe and figure what would be the best step. To build new or refresh and acquire the TC units if thats what they are suggesting or if its a borrow thing.

Im all for the club having towers for projects small and large. Of course myself I probably will be using for projects that are 54mm and up powered and not much smaller.

Personally I'm a big fan of towers like John. Historically, I've built all my altitude birds and even a few non-altitude birds to fly out of towers because I just hate sticking a launch lug or rail buttons out there in the breeze. Personally, I would strongly support the club buying or building a larger tower, preferably 8' or even 12' tall and capable of handling 4" to 6" birds and 98mm motors. However, the trailer situation is absolutely critical and needs to be addressed first. An executive committee meeting is being put together in a couple weeks to address the trailer issue, new pads for the new rails we've acquired through donations, some launch controller repairs and upgrades AND a larger tower.

Personally I think a new tower needs to be beefier than just 1/2" electrical conduit and a couple bicycle rims. It needs to have a substantive base and blast deflector and should be usable without guy lines. It should handle at least 38mm through 6" and up to say 75# or even 100# birds. We have a machinist that we've worked with recently on pad repairs and spare parts who certainly has the skills to do it. I'll make sure this gets brought up at the executive committee meeting.

Warren

I have some suggestions if the club is to build new ones. They can be light weight strong and easy to work with. I don't think making one tower to handle 38mm up to 6" is what we want. We should have one for mid powered stuff for 29mm to 54mm projects with the next one overlapping the 54mm area up to the 6" area. Or even only up to 4" diameter projects. Lets face it, Anything in 6" minimum diameter is going higher then any waiver we could get approved for here. So personally I cant see a need. If your building a project thats 6" diameter with a 4" motor, Rail buttons and aerodynamics are the least of your issues and we have plenty of rails.

Now slightly Off topic but something was mentioned. It was my understanding a "Task Force" was to be appointed for the trailer issue. Have we appointed
that yet? if so who is on it? I ask for specific reasons. In our club are a few folks that have real good experience and knowledge of such stuff and I also may think have an in somewhere on trailers as well. I think its important we get those peoples input. Also is there somewhere that we have posted on our web site as to who all makes up the Exec Committee?

It needs to have a substantive base and blast deflector and should be usable without guy lines.
Warren

Actually, I feel very strongly about guy wires. I think they MUST be used. Imagine a beefy motor like a J570 or a big M in a small rocket - the vibration could lay the whole thing over and then it is major dangerous. Putting a base on that sucker big enough to get around guy lines would make the weight pretty prohibitive.

Ed D. had suggested using 10/10 or 15/15 for the guides - turning them so the corner is all that contacts the rocket. I think that is a great idea.

I'm going to Aeronaut (Black Rock) this year and I'll see what those guys use - they have a couple of towers. We clearly need to do something, though... And I'd sure like to have it for MHM.

It needs to have a substantive base and blast deflector and should be usable without guy lines.
Warren

Actually, I feel very strongly about guy wires. I think they MUST be used. Imagine a beefy motor like a J570 or a big M in a small rocket - the vibration could lay the whole thing over and then it is major dangerous. Putting a base on that sucker big enough to get around guy lines would make the weight pretty prohibitive.

Ed D. had suggested using 10/10 or 15/15 for the guides - turning them so the corner is all that contacts the rocket. I think that is a great idea.

I'm going to Aeronaut (Black Rock) this year and I'll see what those guys use - they have a couple of towers. We clearly need to do something, though... And I'd sure like to have it for MHM.

I agree totally that guy wires are a must. It only takes a good blast to have the whole thing over on its side and then you have a tower launched land shark. Plenty dangerous.

Ive seen some made out of tubing like strait stick exahust tubing with a circle of the tubing at the bottom and one at the top. All bolted together and is adjustable with guy wires. Pretty cool set up. Could even be done with lighter weight aluminum. I would think ones done with rail material might weigh a bit. Also with the tubing it is pretty easy to extend and shorten.

I agree on the 1010 rail as uprights John. I have a design I've been fiddling with using rail for the uprights and braces with a machined stainless blast plate and legs that stake down to the ground. You could guy it out, but there shouldn't be any need. Uses a machined teflon rod that slides into the rail groove as the rocket bearing surface. It would take 5 or 6 sections of 1010 rail to build it though.

Warren

There is a commercial tower out there that runs $1800 (no, I'm not kidding). I think a tower like we are discussing would be a good addition to the club's equipment collection.

Some of these things probably don't need to be drug out every time. Ditto for the hybrid setup. Perhaps this leads us to a second trailer that comes out when needed?

As previously noted, I'd sure like for this to be available at MHM... Alternatively, I could ignite the wooden tower 😯

If I remember correctly, the existing bicycle tower could probably be lengthened just by replacing the 6 pieces of conduit with longer ones. If we lengthened it to 5 or 6 feet could it still fit in the trailer? I'd like to use it at each of the launches I attend, which is most of them.

8) If I may jump in, please go to the Giant Leap website. Under Launch Systems, Adjustable Launch Towers. I have the 7 ft. tower pictured there. It fits into any 1/2 in. Pad. It has 3 X 7-0 SS rails. I would not think twice about launching a 4" rocket off of it. I would add 3 guide wires at the top of the 4-0 rail holders though. Very easy to do, I think I have some 1/8 SS wire around somewhere. I ordered it for a guy in Utah, he gave me a 100.00 deposit, then had to move back east because of work. He could not take it, so I have it. I would apply the 100.00 to the cost and sell it to the club for 150.00. I would give it to the club, but it belongs to GLR. I offered it to UROC but there trailer was like ours, stuffed. (they have no tower) I can bring it with me at the Feb. Launch and you guys can take a look. I think this tower is sweet. It would be easy to have it up and running in just minutes at any launch. You guys know this is not about selling something to the club. I think this is an answer to the problem. But, it is up to the club. 8)

That's an awesome option. It's far better than what we have now being 7' long and able to handle 4" birds and a far cheaper option than buying the $1800 tower that John and I keep drooling over (that's 8' long and handles birds to 7.5" diameter - also has 6' extension available taking it to 14').

Warren

This looks like a great option to me, too. 7 feet, and it looks like it adjusts down to arbitrarily small diameters. Sweet.

Boy I have to agree thats a great tower. I think a very viable and affordable deal for the club to look at.