Lugless Launch Tower

SilicdyneTRF
rocket sok
the rocketry show
The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
PeterEkstrom

PeterEkstrom

Oldtime Member
TRF Supporter
Joined
May 20, 2014
Messages
29
Reaction score
3
I'd like to build the ultimate launch tower for high performance minimum diameter rockets, those without rail guides.
It has to work for both 3-fin and 4-fin rockets and able to adapt from 54mm up to 6" dia.

Please add any ideas, photos or links to good designs.
 
It may boil down to two towers, one for the three-finned rockets and one for four-finned rockets.
 
I thought it may be...

If the tower rods had threaded bases you could build one base plate with multiple threaded holes to choose from. For the top/middle stabilizing rings you could have one set for a three rod setup and one for a four rod setup, they would be adjustable for spacing.
 
Would a 3 fin style tower not work for a 4 fin rocket? Am I missing something? A 3 fin tower should have 120 degrees between supports. For a 4 fin rocket, two fins would be 15 degrees apart each from uprights. With a minimum BT diameter of 54mm, that should work.
 
Tonimus said:
Would a 3 fin style tower not work for a 4 fin rocket? Am I missing something? A 3 fin tower should have 120 degrees between supports. For a 4 fin rocket, two fins would be 15 degrees apart each from uprights. With a minimum BT diameter of 54mm, that should work.
Click to expand...

This is working with the supports as having no diameter. I sketched out what a 54mm layout would look like with 1" diameter supports. A 54mm four fin rocket won't quite fit, although larger diameter rockets would.

IMG_1524861222.954091.jpg
 
Last edited:
ChrisAttebery said:
I spent a lot of time thinking about this subject and came up with this design. They aren't cheap, but they will fit anything from 24mm - 5" OD. It takes about 10 minutes to set up for either 3 or 4 fins. My personal tower has been used with rockets as small as an L265 and as large as an O6600.

https://www.ape-rc.com/#!/Adjustable-Launch-Tower-System/p/52604059/category=11909535
Click to expand...

Hi Chris,

Is one of the photos on your site of a cato? One of my big design issues is ease & cost of repair after the inevitable cato. Your system seems to be modular enough to deal with that. If it was a cato, what size motor and how much damage was there?
 
Yes, there was a CATO in the tower. It was an EX N3500 or something along those lines. I had to replace a couple of the EMT rails that got damaged and bend a couple of the brackets back into place. After that I changed the bracket design to make them twice as thick where they bent. I also replaced the bottom ring with a solid plate since it got bent from some of the higher powered launches blowing the ground out from under the tower.
 
ChrisAttebery said:
Yes, there was a CATO in the tower. It was an EX N3500 or something along those lines. I had to replace a couple of the EMT rails that got damaged and bend a couple of the brackets back into place. After that I changed the bracket design to make them twice as thick where they bent. I also replaced the bottom ring with a solid plate since it got bent from some of the higher powered launches blowing the ground out from under the tower.
Click to expand...

I'm planning on sizing it for a mid size P, so there will definitely be some ground removal...
 
ChrisAttebery said:
Yes, there was a CATO in the tower. It was an EX N3500 or something along those lines. I had to replace a couple of the EMT rails that got damaged and bend a couple of the brackets back into place. After that I changed the bracket design to make them twice as thick where they bent. I also replaced the bottom ring with a solid plate since it got bent from some of the higher powered launches blowing the ground out from under the tower.
Click to expand...

Does it ship with a solid plate now?
 
Yes, it does. The prototype had the ring at the bottom. Once I saw the damage that occurred to the playa and the bent bottom ring I switched the design to a solid bottom plate.

Cl(VII) said:
Does it ship with a solid plate now?
Click to expand...
 

Similar threads

SuperNova-Rocketry
Launch Tower
Replies
11
Views
615
Hobie1dog
Hobie1dog
Jeremy Sim
Looking for plans for a adjustable launch tower
Replies
3
Views
549
cbrarick
cbrarick
Cooperr
Borrow a launch tower at LDRS41?
Replies
3
Views
578
Cooperr
Cooperr
Valkyrie Recovery Systems
New, Low Cost Deployment Bags
Replies
0
Views
296
Valkyrie Recovery Systems
Valkyrie Recovery Systems
1
HPR Sim Questions
2
Replies
40
Views
966
rcktnut
rcktnut

Latest posts

Back
Top