Stooges- They are an instrument of the devil!

[sleepy gomez]

My Dearest Brett, you did notice that the problems cited were almost all related to the release string's problems. 
I like not having a string in my way to hang up.  It's real nice if you don't have to use a stooge.   On the other hand, one with no moving parts to fail makes sense.  Many "old timers" get myopia.       

[john e. holliday]

Come on guys,  what works for one may not work for the other.   The ones that scare me are the two verticles legs to hold a plane.   

[Russell Shaffer]

Why is that, John?  I assume you mean the kind that hold by the stab?  I think they would be OK as long as the tail is secure?  What am I missing that could bite me?

[EddyR]

Went flying today and used this STOOGE I got the door hinge idea from Bill Rich when we use to fly at the north Tampa site. Bill had them permanently mounted to the ground. When I started using the Hunterville NC field I mounted one to the pavement and someone kept removing it so I came up with this method of mounting the door hinge on a plywood plate. Recently I needed a way to launch a try gear model so I made this block to mound another hinge up higher. For several years I didn't use the playwood I had holes in the pavement and used to very long nails to hold the door hinge in place. I have never had a failure using this method
Ed

[Fred Cronenwett]

Here the Wichita area I find myself flying alone most of the time, so I have to fly with a stooge. The one I use is made from a plate of steel, that weights about 10 lbs and has four rubber feet. Then I put a nose gear steering nylon bushing and made a pull pin system that is spring loaded. I double check everything before I start the engine, basically I have been doing what Brett Buck mentioned in his reply.

This first photo shows my 11 lb camera plane with a four stroke 91 at full throttle and the stooge is not moving. I can put this stooge down anywhere as is (grass or concrete) and it will hold everything I fly including the camera plane. The four rubber feet provide enough friction to keep the steel plate from being dragged along the ground. My smaller airplanes don't even approach to begin to move this plate.

Also attached is a close up view of the stooge. There is no need to nail the stooge to the ground if it weighs 10 lbs or more. Models with really large engines would need more, but we rarely fly with anything bigger than a 90.

Land Sofltly,
Fred Cronenwett

[Brett Buck]

My Dearest Brett, you did notice that the problems cited were almost all related to the release string's problems. 
I like not having a string in my way to hang up.  It's real nice if you don't have to use a stooge.   On the other hand, one with no moving parts to fail makes sense.  Many "old timers" get myopia.       

  That was the problem some of the time. The rest of the time was that it released prematurely.  You don't see a lot of "shook off the uncaptured hook" accidents because everybody else uses a positive retention system.

  I am sorry if I offended you but stooges are dangerous enough that trying to use one without a positive retention system just isn't safe at all, and for what little it seems to be worth, I couldn't in good conscience let it go without comment.

    Brett

[Peter Nevai]

Stooges are evil. A necessary evil, but evil none the less.

[Tim Wescott]

A couple of comments on Brett's comments:

Most of my flying is done in the corner of an RC field, with RC guys in attendance.  The last time I flew I brought a stooge (hastily built, but oddly enough it had a spring clip that positively retains the plane and can't come off without a good firm pull -- imagine that).  They'd never seen one.  Even though these guys like me, and are quite happy to launch for me, I got over twice as many flights in as I usually do because I was launching by myself with the stooge.  Flying in the presence of folks who's ears are attuned to the sound of a screaming model engine thunking into mud (or flesh) takes care of a lot of the safety issues.

Brett's advise was to pull the cord, and toss it off away from you.  I have always (well, ever since an unfortunate accident in my youth) set things up so that the plane is about six to ten feet outside of the normal flying circle for launch.  That gives me room to pull the cord, gracefully drop it right where it lays, and walk to the center of the circle over the course of the first half lap or so.  That puts me well away from the cord -- and I haven't had any problems, ever.

I don't know much more to add.  Someone here has a design for a stooge that's controlled by a remote door lock system bought at an auto parts store.  The general concept made me shudder at first, but he has the stooge set up so that you have to push two buttons in sequence to release ("door lock" then "door unlock").  Done right, any extra chances for inadvertent release should be balanced by the "no chance" for tripping or tangling one's stooge line.  If I weren't a tightwad and a luddite I might give up my $1.00 worth of string, scrap plywood and screen door parts for his high-tech solution.

[Russell Shaffer]

Tim, if you were high tech, you wouldn't be flying control line.

[W.D. Roland]

The 55galon drum trick.
Very simple and will not release until you do. no way

Place 55 gallon drum 1/2 way down length of lines.
Circle airplane in reverse back to the handle.
Start airplane and hold with one hand pick up handle with the other hand.
launch airplane.
Barrel is center of circle until line straight. lines supposedly slide on steel barrel for control.

NOW if you ask me I say that the craziest thing ever. fells weird to even think about it. ??? ??? n

I never did it, other locals did in 60s-70s
There are some fliers on here that have ?  Probably Combat fliers.

[Jerry Leuty]

Stooges are very safe if you are very safe. You have to follow the same safe guide lines when you go flying by yourself. I fly by myself 99% of the time. Accidents do happen and they do happen to me. I concentrate on what I am doing. Still fly aways, cuts, heart attacks, and distractions are ever present. My neighbor is retiring in Sept. and I am hoping that he and I will get to go flying a lot together. We have known each other since the 8 th. grade some 50 years now. But his wife of 45 years will probably keep him plenty busy.