Stooge launching with trike gear?

[Bill Hodges]

I have been using a stooge with tail-draggers for years but have never tried to stooge launch a plane with tricycle landing gear (a Pathfinder to be exact).

Could anyone out there enlighten me?  How do you stooge launch a trike gear plane?  A pic of your setup would be great.

Bill Hodges

[Bob Reeves]

Hi Bill,

Just went through the same transition with my new stunt ship, was lucky enough to have another modeler, Zuriel, send me a base that I slightly modified. Will see if I can't get a picture and post it.

Got it, the uprights are PVC pipe, cable that holds them back is something I had, drilled a small hole in the PVC, fished the cable through and soldered a washer on the ends to secure it. End that is captured by the Brodak release is a simple loop with a ferrel. Hinges are from the hardware store bent around the PVC and secured with sheet metal screws. The bottom half of the PVC are plugged with a wood dowel for added strength and additional meat for the screws.

[john e. holliday]

Veny ingenius and I like it.  May have to make one so I can fly the P-39 more often.  Can you still use the stooge for the tail draggers?  DOC Holliday

[Bob Reeves]

Veny ingenius and I like it.  May have to make one so I can fly the P-39 more often.  Can you still use the stooge for the tail draggers?  DOC Holliday

Yes, the only negative is it keeps the tail wheel up but if prop clearance isn't an issue it works just as well for a tail dragger as it does for a trike. The basic concept has been around for years with many implementations. This is just one way to do it.

The origional as received from Zuriel had a release pin that captured both uprights, when you pulled the pin the uprights were allowed to drop. I didn't care for the idea it would let the outside one drop first as the pin was pulled so came up with cable idea so they would release at exactly the same time.

[Bill Hodges]

Bob:

Thanks for the photo.  That is exactly what I need.  Time to head to Ace Hardware for the parts.

Thanks again
Bill

[Randy Powell]

Yea, I would worry about any sort of cable or strap system because of the danger of the strap flipping up and hitting the tail. Probably the plane is gone before it could be an issue. Hey, if it works...

[Bob Reeves]

Yea, I would worry about any sort of cable or strap system because of the danger of the strap flipping up and hitting the tail. Probably the plane is gone before it could be an issue. Hey, if it works...

Ya it was a concern, also... Because the tail on my new ship sits so high I had to have fairly long uprights. If the uprights drop while the ship is in position they will hit the flaps. I have to set the stooge then drop the ship down over it. Between this and what you expressed about the cable I wondered if it would work at all.... In reality everything falls into place at the right time and even a small short coupled tail dragger is gone before anything beats up on it.

[Zuriel Armstrong]

Bob,

I like the mods to the stooge.  I originally used it for the Alias and other tail wheel planes.

[Joe Yau]

Yea, I would worry about any sort of cable or strap system because of the danger of the strap flipping up and hitting the tail. Probably the plane is gone before it could be an issue. Hey, if it works...

I had that problem on my Saturn when I was using a .027 LO cable for the strap, which was way too flexible. as I could hear a snap once in a while when I make the turns on the Sq-8 maneuver.  then I switched to a more stiffer cable, and it was fine.. it was also stiff enough that it wont get wedged between the elevator and the fuse.   I do like Bob's stooge setup for the trike gears though.

[Bob Reeves]

Bob,

I like the mods to the stooge.  I originally used it for the Alias and other tail wheel planes.

Well I sure appreciate your generosity, it has worked out great. Many flights made possible with your help.

[James Mills]

This is the set up I've used, no problems.  3/4" ply base, wood dowel uprights covered with pipe insulation, eyelets for the pin.

James

[Steve Dwyer]

I wouldn't let Moe, Larry or Curley near the airplane. they be a liability to themselves.

I thought about the twin release posts at the tail but was concerned it may cause it to tip back on the mains lifting the nose wheel off the ground.

Has anyone tried a skid hook located on the bottom of the fuse between the nose wheel and the mains ahead of the CG? Or a light short cable strap off the nose wheel connected to the stooge located beneath the plane? The stooge of course would have to be back far enough so not to have the main gear catch the pull cord.

Thoughts?

Steve

[Peter in Fairfax, VA]

My trike Pathfinder launches fine from a typical "pull pin" stooge.  I have about a four inch loop attached under the rudder.