What are our opinions on fly away rail guides?

[SolarYellow]

Thanks for your report on your observations with using a FALL (or was it a FARG?). I use these exclusively with my BT-20 rockets and get perfect launches every time. The only problem I get is that with some of the launches (maybe 66% to 75%?) the FALL will stay with the rocket until apogee/ejection. Then, as the rocket returns with a parachute, the FALL is slowly falling back to the ground like a large leaf in autumn.

Same construction as yours, using the orange foam sheet from HL with 1/8 launch lug material glued to the ends. So I reckon it's a FALL.

If the big foam diaper stays with the rocket to ejection, that's got to be waaay worse for performance than the LL glued to the side of the rocket. On my one launch, the orange FALL was on the ground maybe 10-15' from the launch rod rack, so it clearly separated very early.

My goal is to optimize performance of this cheap little rocket. OR says it should do ~2300 ft with a C6-7 and high desert launch site atmosphere. Hoping a five foot long bird scare tape streamer will be enough to catch it visually on the way down.

If I find the FALL staying attached, I'll have to go tower.