New Orlando Group Launcher and Pivot

At yesterdays' Orlando R.O.C.K. monthly launch we all had a great surprise -

A NEW LAUNCH RACK!

Not just any pivot base, but something I hadn't seen before.

That's a billiard ball sandwiched between two pieces of wood. The ball was drilled to accommodate up to a 3/16" launch rod. The wing nut (centered in the numbered dot) turns and holds the rod in place.

I lifted up the flat blast deflector to show the hole the billiard ball rests in. There is another hole in the wood piece on the bottom.

On the left is the black wing nut. It doesn't take much pressure to hold the ball in place. When loosened, the ball can rotate.

In operation:

• Loosen the black wing nut on the left. The pressure is off the top plate and the ball can rotate.


• Grasp the rod (low near the ball, not from the top) and change the angle of the rod.


• Lightly turn the wing nut at the left. It takes very little pressure to lock the ball and rod in place.

With the rod through the top hole, the rod angle is restricted and cannot be set too far into the wind.

Here's the entire new "B" rack. The "A" rack is also being replaced.

I understand the basis for this design was from NARs Bill Spadafora. R.O.C.K. member Russ Mozier had made prototype launchers in this style.

Tom Dennen took the design time, made the purchases, did the drilling and woodworking to make it a reality.

Efforts like this make it worthwhile to fly with a NAR section!