I'm using used F3B mono or 150lb cheap mono for my bungee....
But I'm using that with a (guessing) 12" dia chute from Craig (Mr Kite) that has the dacron fishing line shrouds sewed right to the chute and a ring at each end.

I haven't recalled being hung up in it (yet), and recently added a bit of length to the mono.
When the Wx threatens rain here for our weekly Sunday flys at the local haunt, I tell the winch guy to leave his gear and batteries at home, and Launch his plane and mine on the bungee.
It is great practice with the lower launches, and it gives him and his back a break from loading the gear in his truck....

R,
Target

So today I rigged my bungee to use a small chute with 4' paracord extension and a tow hook loop instead of a tow ring. My setup uses 50' of the Hosemonster 4m rubber and ~100 ft of thin braided #18 twine. After doing some trial launches including intentionally over-aggressive zooms, I can say this:

1. The extension definitely allows for longer steeper zooms without the parachute tangling in the tail.

2. The increased friction of the tow hook paracord loop requires you to release off zoom with a much more vertical angle as compared to using a tow hook ring. This was very noticeable and repeatable. Possible solutions: add wax to the inside of the tow hook loop or feed the loop cord through some heavy heatshrink tubing.

3. If you're using strong bungee rubber the paracord extension makes it difficult to pull back under more than halfway-stretched tension since there's nothing like the chute to grab onto (the loop digs into your fingers pretty good). And you can't pull back the chute and extension together since the extension is too long (unless you have 4' arms to slowly let it out when you're done stretching). Best approach so far has been to pull it back halfway, then hook the plane up and back up the rest of the way. This takes longer for each launch and reduces the # of launch-and-lands you can do in an hour.

So I'm still learning the ins and outs of using a bungee extension. If I had to decide which way to go now I would probably choose no extension. But I will do more practice with it.

Chris B.

Because I usually use a heavier zip-start, I'm in the habit of always hooking up the plane to the ring or loop before pulling tension on the Bungee. I carry the plane to the chute, hook up, and walk back with my left hand over the nose of the plane, right hand roughly in the position it needs to be to throw the plane.
When I get to the right tension, I steady my stance, get the TX set in the left hand, and use the left hand to help cock back the right hand in the throwing position.
Then just toss that beast out.

R,
Target

Originally Posted by SoaringDude

So today I rigged my bungee to use a small chute with 4' paracord extension and a tow hook loop instead of a tow ring. My setup uses 50' of the Hosemonster 4m rubber and ~100 ft of thin braided #18 twine.
Chris B.

Our standard Colorado death match setup is this same rubber with 25' of mono with a b/J chute on the end. The line is so short that it it is very hard to run out of tension and dive into the chute.

Most of us carry the plane to the chute and hook up and stretch the chute on the towhook. This avoids bending over to grab the plane while hanging on to the high tension chute. The exception is Skip who drags the chute back to the plane and hooks up - but he is an animal...

Jim

Jim and Target,

Thanks for the hookup suggestions guys. Makes very good sense to just hook up and haul the plane back as I'm only a 0.75 animal . I may also try a shorter line and see how I like it.

I agree with Mark's comment regarding leaving some bungee tension on the table when you release. I've found my zooms with the Zip Start have the most energy when I've timed the dip early enough to have some tension still in the rubber at release. At this point the rubber tension vs tow hook angle change facilitates the release rather than drag from the chute. We've been doing the Death Match enough now that getting this timing right is critical to achieve max launch height.

BK

^^^
+10
Its not a high start!

R,
Target

Fellas, do you have access to a local supplier for the two red/white chutes shown in this unrelated post? http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1819218

Out here in the Midwest I buy mine from Johnny Berlin but I imagine they are available elsewhere. The advantage, as described to me by those more experienced in such matters, is that these chutes netting is less aggressive at opening and certainly without all the chute strings it does not have as many snag opportunities. There seems to be a pretty strong preference for these on the NATS winches, our winches in Dayton, etc.