Clubs: Launch Rods, Rails, or Both?

I'm contemplating removing launch lugs on a couple of my high-MPR/HPR builds (unpainted) and going with rail buttons.

People are suggesting that I just install the buttons, and keep the LL's. So, presuming that I'll only launch a F-G or higher power rockets at a club launch, would I find that I'd be out of luck because I don't have launch lugs?

BTW... It would probably help to know which club you are replying for.

Pointy Side Up!
Jim

Tripoli Idaho and we use both.

SARG and LUNAR: We use both.

No reason to remove your launch lugs. Just add rail buttons and you're prepared for any pad. One of my small HPR's has 1/4", 3/8" lugs AND rail buttons. I have used them all.

URRG- variety of rods and rails.

Personally I don't use lugs anymore. but no real reason to pull them and have to repaint everything.

TRA Pittsburgh here. Also seen both at past MDRA (Red Glare), URRF, and Thunderstruck launches I attended.

Both CMASS (NAR #464) and MMMSC (NAR #727) have 1/8" through 1/2" rods, 1010 and 1515 rails.

We have small rods for MicroMaxx rockets (CMASS being Jim Flis' R&D facility) and the newer 20 cm and micro rails.

BALLS we have both.
The rods see little use, nearly all use rail or towers.
IIRC at the LDRS in Canada it was only rails, no rods.

M

We have plenty of both & Unistrut.

You forgot Unistrut for really big stuff!

Orangeburg SC

SDTRA-we have everything, except we request you bring your own forklift.

Oregon Rocketry (OROC) supports both. And within that, we support multiple rod sizes.

At MDRA, it's all rods for LPR, and the rod sizes stop at 1/4". But the RSOs will strongly recommend you use rails over 1/4" rods due to stability issues.

Michiana uses rods, rails, and small towers...

I bring a 3/8" and a 1/2" rod to CRASH, They say who would ever use those? I say myself and old dudes from the 70's who still think 1/2" lugs are cool. Then there are the guys from COSROCS who use what looks like a mortar tube with pretty flags attached. The Pyro guys just bury their big tubes in the earth, but that is not rocketry.

Our club(cranbrook rocket club) uses both, we got 1/8,3/16,1/4 rods and 1" rail

Here at RadRocketeers we use 1/8" pads at the close rack, 1/4" rods and 1010 rails in 6 and 8 foot lengths at the "HPR pads" and have 3/8(?) that we can set up pretty easily.

Nate

DARS has both.

This is one of those polls where it would not have taken a rocket scientist to figure out that the vast majority of the answers would be "both"...

tab28682 said:

DARS has both.

This is one of those polls where it would not have taken a rocket scientist to figure out that the vast majority of the answers would be "both"...

Click to expand...

This poll was actually meant to prove wrong those who were saying that keeping lugs increases my chances of launching. As it stands at this point, the polls show I have a (rounded to nearest whole percent) 93% chance of launching with lugs, and 95% chance of launching with rails. Of course, with both, I stand a 100% chance of launching.

o1d_dude said:

SARG and LUNAR: We use both.

No reason to remove your launch lugs. Just add rail buttons and you're prepared for any pad. One of my small HPR's has 1/4", 3/8" lugs AND rail buttons. I have used them all.

Click to expand...

^This!^ Also opens up other options to get you on a pad faster at a busy launch.
Though if you fly with WOOSH, all the bases are covered - almost. We have no uni-strut rail.

MASA and Tripoli-MN (both Twin Cities clubs) launch both. At Tripoli-MN, they had 2 MPR pads that were both 1/4" rods. Then I brought my rail pad and set it up in the MPR section because my TARC team uses rails, but are not allowed into the HPR range. I found that a lot of MPR folks were using my rail (and they were very welcomed to do so). This made me think that there were probably a few HPR rails flying MPR rockets in the past because there were no rails in the MPR section. I will discuss this with my club as a way of freeing up the HPR rails by providing an MPR rail (in case I don't bring mine).

blackjack2564 said:

We have plenty of both & Unistrut.

You forgot Unistrut for really big stuff!

Orangeburg SC

Click to expand...

Rods up to 1", plenty of rails but no Unistrut currently. A sugar cato destroyed it (Orangeburg).

K'Tesh said:

This poll was actually meant to prove wrong those who were saying that keeping lugs increases my chances of launching. As it stands at this point, the polls show I have a (rounded to nearest whole percent) 93% chance of launching with lugs, and 95% chance of launching with rails. Of course, with both, I stand a 100% chance of launching.

Click to expand...

At MDRA we have both, but generally most of the HP pads are outfitted with buttons. For any MP/HP bird that can fly off 1/4" rods, I use both. I don't know how many times all the rails were full but there was a rod going abeggin'. If course, I have a lot of oddrocs/saucers/etc that need a rod.

Batmite: MDRA has larger rods, but you have to ask for them, lug them from the trailer and install them yourself. Except maybe at Red Glare where there is a pad helper assigned.

As time goes on, I think you will see fewer rods at club launches in the future. Yeah, I'm a bit biased, but with the new Mini and Micro buttons, it will lessen the need for rods. They'll never totally go away, but for most model rockets, these will meet your needs. Judging by sales, they are starting to catch on.

I've seen mostly rods and elsewhere I've seen more rails. But also sometimes one is nicer than the other, or has adjustable angle, and seen that go both ways as well.

Another factor is: I own a rod, and have some rockets that can't use rail, so lugs are usually preferred.

HPRC #745 has both a rail and rods !
we have only one 1010 rail working to see if we can get a mini rail for mini buttons
and rods from 1/8th-1/4th

K'Tesh said:

This poll was actually meant to prove wrong those who were saying that keeping lugs increases my chances of launching. As it stands at this point, the polls show I have a (rounded to nearest whole percent) 93% chance of launching with lugs, and 95% chance of launching with rails. Of course, with both, I stand a 100% chance of launching.

Click to expand...

Plus if you have both, you don't necessarily need to wait for "one of the rails" or "one of the rods" to open up LUNAR has both rails and rods out there for Mid and High-Power, but depending on what other people are setting up to fly the same time you are, you may have to wait for the "right" kind of pad to open up.

K'Tesh said:

This poll was actually meant to prove wrong those who were saying that keeping lugs increases my chances of launching. As it stands at this point, the polls show I have a (rounded to nearest whole percent) 93% chance of launching with lugs, and 95% chance of launching with rails. Of course, with both, I stand a 100% chance of launching.

Click to expand...

Not exactly a statistical universe reporting in, here.

What really matters is what your local club has and what any regional or national launches you might attend will have. In my case, I have a 100% chance of launching with both at all my local launches.

The main problem at the launches I've attended is getting a pad at all. Seems like everyone is always in line ahead of me.

Having waited over an hour to get a pad assignment has led me to be prepared for all eventualities. And I carry a folding chair with at all times.

At LUNAR launches at Snow Ranch the HPR pads are set up as rails. Those wanting/needing a rod can choose one from the supply available at the pads and swap one in. The MPR pads are set up with a mix of both and rods to swap in are available. Best of both worlds scenario.

o1d_dude said:

The main problem at the launches I've attended is getting a pad at all. Seems like everyone is always in line ahead of me.

Having waited over an hour to get a pad assignment has led me to be prepared for all eventualities. And I carry a folding chair with at all times.

At LUNAR launches at Snow Ranch the HPR pads are set up as rails. Those wanting/needing a rod can choose one from the supply available at the pads and swap one in. The MPR pads are set up with a mix of both and rods to swap in are available. Best of both worlds scenario.

Click to expand...

At Black Knights in the UK, there are no queues for launches, in fact there is normally a wait for someone to do a launch, It's good that you don't have to wait, but sad that there are so few people doing rocketry. To be honest, I'd rather have the wait and see some launches while I do. For the record we have both rods and rails. HPR is rails only, LPR and MPR you can use either.

I put standard rail buttons on anything model or mid power that is large enough to make sense to me. I have rails I can bring if I go somewhere that doesn't have them. (1010 and 1515) I can see myself getting some mini and micro rails in the future. I use lugs for most small models right now. I had a tower but let it go. I may build a small one for some models. It seems wrong to put lugs on a Roachwerks Sprint clone.

Tri-Cities Rocketeers, we use 1/8", 3/16", 1/4", maybe some 3/8", 1/2" rods, 1010 rails usually one or two at MPR and and 1 to 3 at HPR depending on number of fliers expected (10' iirc), and at least one 6' tower