"If you want that quick J sub second launch experience then I strongly recommend the full mega bungee that Keith and Joe W are using."

I thought that was what it was all about? Otherwise I would just be getting/suggesting a "B" winch.

As for the safety, I've worked with Keith's bungee, and I can assure you that the danger is real for anyone between the model and the stake (in adjacent lanes.)

Originally Posted by Pilebuck

"If you want that quick J sub second launch experience then I strongly recommend the full mega bungee that Keith and Joe W are using."

I thought that was what it was all about? Otherwise I would just be getting/suggesting a "B" winch.

As for the safety, I've worked with Keith's bungee, and I can assure you that the danger is real for anyone between the model and the stake (in adjacent lanes.)

No its not - the purpose of the effort was among other things to find a launch solution that would lower the effort required to hold a team select and potentially avail itself to a lasting MOM based contest format. There has been a lot of interest in the format.

B winches are great for those of us willing to invest - hey if you have the bug you make the time and money. I looked at purchasing several B winches to hold a significant event. It's just not practical.

If your interest is moderate or you are just curious and you see that a winch, battery and mono is a requirement for competitions... it's a barrier. I want to remove barriers and increase exposure. I don't want to drag 2k worth of gear to a high school and listen to the kids basically tell me that they will not even tell their parents about the sport because of the money involved when in reality they could build killer skills with $50 worth of rubber.

This last summer I attended a couple MOM bungee powered events - they were so much fun - we got so many more flights in and the concept just made an impact.

Most serious pilots don't drag their winch to the field either. I don't, Keith doesn't Arend, JW - we are all using a bungee already for practice. The practice solution currently seems to be a really powerful burst solution that eliminates a lot of walking - this is a factor when you want to do 10-15 launches back to back but a contest solution should be a little easier to manage. So in that light I have been experimenting with a larger than average bungee that delivers serious launching potential but does not require holding above 60 lbs of force.

I am making obvious concessions. We will not have the kind of J power from a 2 man tow. We will however have a MOM format and standardized gear that can:

- be duplicated at any club for very little investment

- Be duplicated by individuals for less than some people pay for a single servo.

- Seriously expose the pilot skills given that launches are going to be 150-250 meters instead of 300 meters.

- reduce barriers to new pilots.

- promote the MOM format

if we can accomplish these things and increase our numbers so that we have a critical mass of pilots then I would be all for going back to a pure F3J approach. Right now however we are in a different world.


In terms of danger regardless if it's a bungee or a J tow you are going to be exposed to some danger if you are hanging around between the plane and the stake. Right now in a typical J format we have 10-20 people down there already and the stats on injury from aircraft collisions with towers seems to be very low.

In the format described with bungees, the amount of people between the spike and the plane should be reduced to just those doing relites at the same time, pulling out of coordination and in adjacent lanes....and even then the chances of mishap are pretty low - the same as in F3J but lower power. Most perceived danger could be resolved by using wider lanes or even an extra lane with a spare bungee for larger safety margins.