Nice engineering.  None of us are getting any younger and standing to start sure beats kneeling and bending. 

A great idea, and great work, Richard.  I was wondering; though, if when the engine starts, does the stand tend to tip forward?  What about making the forward legs of the base a little longer, or putting the uprights further back?  Even if a person doesn't have a problem kneeling down at the flying site, a stand like this in the back yard would come in very handy for engine testing, etc.     Glen

Richard,

I advise caution. While I have no doubt that pictured starting stand is safe with any normal prop/engine combination in which the engine is an ST 51...

...I would bet a fair bit of money that my Impact, running a small-block four-stroke (Saito 56), this twisting either of my two best props, will almost instantly pull a stand like yours over.

I don't fully understand what is going on here, but certain engine/prop combinations, while delivering comparable in-air results, vary drastically as to the amount of static pull.

A friend with whom I fly on a regular basis will not hold the Impact for me. Or at least he began refusing to do so about the second flying session of this year. The pull is that annoying, although he can be a bit of a wimp at times.

Even when we are flying at the same circle, I must use my stooge!

Related, and while I personally wouldn't do it during my own officials, the option of having someone else start your model does exist, even in competition. The "starting points" rule no longer exists.

When others are flying one of my ARFs in a contest, typically I will do all the pit work while they wait at the handle. When flying "Pukey Profile" in Canada this past year, we used two of my models and I did all of the pit work...my fellow Stunt Prima Donnas never had to deal with any of the messy stuff.

Dan

I friend of mine was actually screaming to me to give the signal to let go of my Saito 72 powered Backfire.  The pull is that strong.  When I let Keith Trostle fly my plane, I launched and I was saying to myself " the pull on this thing is a bitch, I wish he would give the signal".

I'm with Richard on the squatting and kneeling stuff. Everything I got hurts everyday...

This is not unlike the stooge used for winding Wakefields (F1B's) rubber motors, which requires more like 30 or 40 lbs of pull...about like a pulltest. I've flown the event, and anchored some for winding. It's a serious pull, and takes awhile.

A pair of guy wire/ropes and good tent stakes would brace this unit adequately for a Saito .72! The F1B guys sometimes carry different types of tent stakes, to suit various types of soil. Our soil requires simple spikes, that can deflect off the rocks. Army Surplus and camping supply stores can provide good types of tent stakes. I'd be inclined to use plastic coated aircraft cable for the guy wires, tho many F1B guys use something like parachute cord. I'd want less stretch for either purpose.

I'm also thinking that this device could be hard on stabalizers. A crossbar up front could capture the LG, maybe, with a gizmo, bungee or Velcro over the aft fuselage to hold it down? Alternately, a pin to hook to the stooge loop? I sure like the idea...    Steve

 

Nice idea good to save those knees mine kill me if I do alot of kneeling down, it will take the stress off the old joints