I really prefer the catapult launch for flying wings because of the reliability and small takeoff space requirement. I will be experimenting on using auto takeoff with this soon.
Credits to brettbb of RCgroups for the original design.
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FYI. Here are a few links to videos showing another implementation of bretbb's catapult design, with several design improvements.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKX3npC_f3o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJh5NqL1Md4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6wuXObP6Pg
I like the arrester bungie setup. The downside of the original design is that the shuttle slams into the end of the launcher and yanks the two halves of the rail apart. This is why I no longer use the latches. Instead, I just bolt the two rails together. I also had the mid section reinforced with much much thickerangle bars so the rail does not sag. The X-8 I'm flying is quite heavy, with a 10Ah 4S battery, Mirrorless Camera and a parachute.
Regards,
Serge
Serge do you think you can build one of these for me?
I'm working in a modified Brett catapult too for a skywalker plane, I post photos when i finish, perhaps this weekend :) I'm think to put two tent stakes backward the catapult
I'm using tent stakes on the rear legs. I wonder how brettbb gets away without using them. I started using them when the shuttle caught the prop as the entire launcher lunged forward. In the video, the stakes were in loose dry soil so they did not hold up too well.