Any Plans Available For LPR Tower?

[TangoJuliet]

I'd like to add an adjustable Tower launcher to my gear, but the one Apogee sells seems a little steep. Does anybody have plans for a DIY on the cheap?

 

[Micromeister]

There really aren't any Dirt Cheap ways to create an adjustable, Accurate and Stable Competition Tower.
There are several ONE Size only towers that aren't all that expensive but you need one for each body diameter your flying. I built mine from scratch using 10" diamter PVC Pipe rings with 1/4" Aluminuim stiffener rods and 1/2" x 3/8" x 1/16" 36" Aluminum Channels for the 5 adjustable internal rails. The thing ended up costing about 200.oo by the time I added a drop-down Piston base and 48" folding legs.
There are lots of other style tower out there, One just needs to do some research and decide on What You want to do with your tower.

Below are a few pics of a few different style towers you might get some ideas from:

 

[TangoJuliet]

Thanks John. I really like the one you show in photos 5 & 6. I did find the R&D papers on NAR that describe the tower that Apogee's is based on, but it's difficult to understand it's construction by the way it's written.

 

[samb]

The plans are listed on the NARTS page:



https://blastzone.org/nar/narts/store.asp?groupid=1080034635461



[full disclosure] I haven't seen the plans or built a tower. Hope this helps.

 

[TangoJuliet]

The plans are listed on the NARTS page:

View attachment 313872

https://blastzone.org/nar/narts/store.asp?groupid=1080034635461



[full disclosure] I haven't seen the plans or built a tower. Hope this helps.

Not being able to see what the plan is prior to spending money is a little weird, I think. I could assume that it is the same as tower in the R&D report, but we all know what can happen when you assume.

 

[samb]

Not being able to see what the plan is prior to spending money is a little weird, I think. I could assume that it is the same as tower in the R&D report, but we all know what can happen when you assume.

Being a cheap S.O. ... I mean frugal gentleman myself I would agree. But consider that you're looking for a specialized, limited use bit of kit in a niche hobby. Other than Apogee I think Giant Leap makes the only other commercially available tower: https://giantleaprocketry.com/products/components_launch_systems.aspx#Adjustable_Launch_Towers

I would also guess that the craftsmen on here; the ones who go to the garage and throw nuts, bolts, aluminum and wood up in the air with a "Valar Morghulis" probably don't work from plans. The NARTS could be the only game in town. Might be worth pinging this guy to ask for a peek:

NARTS
Brad Cline
1830 Suqulak Trail
London, Ohio 43140
(740)852-2784 Phone/Fax

https://www.nar.org/about-nar/organization-contacts/

 

[TangoJuliet]

Well, there's another supplier I hadn't heard of before. Thanks.

From what I've been seeing of the different designs I've been able to locate, I think I may just try to cobble together something on my own. I'm pretty sure I can come up with something for less than what they're being sold for commercially... Perhaps not, it's just something I kind of wanted to play with. I don't see me competing anytime soon, or at all more than likely (I haven't competed since the mid/late 80's when I was a teen), so it's not a big priority item to have. Then again, I recently took my girlfriends 5 year-old grandson with us to launch rockets and he's already asking when we're going again. It might be time to help him build a rocket of his own :wink:.

 

[Ez2cDave]

Well, there's another supplier I hadn't heard of before. Thanks.

From what I've been seeing of the different designs I've been able to locate, I think I may just try to cobble together something on my own. I'm pretty sure I can come up with something for less than what they're being sold for commercially... Perhaps not, it's just something I kind of wanted to play with. I don't see me competing anytime soon, or at all more than likely (I haven't competed since the mid/late 80's when I was a teen), so it's not a big priority item to have. Then again, I recently took my girlfriends 5 year-old grandson with us to launch rockets and he's already asking when we're going again. It might be time to help him build a rocket of his own :wink:.

Shoot me an email and I'll be happy to send you a Dropbox invitation for lots of tower info.

[email protected]

Dave F.

 

[caveduck]

I put together a 2nd gen 6' tower a few years back (based on one I did in 1980 for the internats) using precision 1" aluminum tubes, plywood rings, radial threaded rod for adjustment, a bunch of wingnuts-n-bolts, and a set of homemade Delrin bushings for the runner blocks guide that the threaded rod. It's supported by guy lines on the upper ring rather than rigid supports (which works great BTW). The aluminum tubes were the only expensive part at about $100 for all 3. Total cost was probably under $140. It will handle anything from 10-13mm diameter models all the way to 3" HPR. The 1" tubes are REALLY rigid and can be adjusted very precisely. Unfortunately I don't know of any published plans...

 

[bibbster]

You may have already read this, but maybe there is something here that will cause something to click when the gears in your noggin are turning as you cobble something together.

https://www.nar.org/contest-flying/fai-spacemodeling/construction-techniques/tower-launchers/

 

[Ez2cDave]

Shoot me an email and I'll be happy to send you a Dropbox invitation for lots of tower info.

[email protected]

Dave F.

 

[majordude]

Apogee sells a kit.

 

[Gus]

Apogee actually sells two different towers. Both are outstanding and well worth the money. Very easy to adjust, and the Wedgie, designed for international competition, is very portable and packable.

 

[Rocketjunkie]

CHAD tower. NOT adjustable, you will need one for each BT diameter. You should be able to build for less than the cost of an F motor.
You will need
Plaster
Container, large enough to be stable with the weight of the plaster and rods.
3 or 4 rods or tubes roughly 1/2 the BT diameter (give or take 50%) and 3-4 feet long. Conduit is cheap, straight, and redilly available at places like Lowes.
Extra BT or the completed rocket.

Wrap paper around the BT or rocket to provide some clearance.
Space guides around paper wrapped BT or rocket and tape in place.
Mix plaster per instructions and pour into container.
Embed one end of tube/BT assembly into plaster and support straight while plaster cures.
Untape and remove BT. Tower is ready for use.

I've seen these used for everything from BT-5 1/2A power to 6" O power (55 gallon drum, Quickcrete, 4 x 4's for guide rails).

 

[Ez2cDave]

Shoot me an email and I'll be happy to send you a Dropbox invitation for lots of tower info.

[email protected]

Dave F.

My "offer" is still good . . .

Dave F.

 

[neil_w]

The OP has not been seen around here in over a year, FWIW.

 

[Ez2cDave]

The OP has not been seen around here in over a year, FWIW.

Neil,

The OP contacted me shortly after I posted the original invitation. ( likely he was watching the thread )

I re-posted my invitation so that ANYONE can have access to the information if they send me an e-mail.

So far, 4 people have done exactly that.

My offer is still good . . . [email protected]

Dave F.