Adjustable Towhook
Adjustable towhooks are great for optimizing your launch setups. For best results, you need to be able to finely adjust the towhook position. It doesn't take much to make an adjustable towhook. All you need is a piece of steel flat stock
and a regular towhook.
I like the Kavan towhooks. 1/8 towhooks seem too light and 3/16 towhooks are
an overkill. These are right in between, and if you like chrome, they look
good too. You can get them at Hobby-Lobby. I got a piece of flat stock
from Enco http://use-enco.com. You can get enough for $4.00 for the next few
years.
Drill two holes. Tap one for the towhook and tap the other for a 4-40 or 6-32
bolt. Space the holes about 1/2" apart. Wax all the spare flat stock you have,
then mix up some epoxy and microballons. Put that on the bottom of the fuselage
and place the flat stock in it to make a nice seat for the towhook. You can
add some extra carbon or glass if you are paranoid about a slot in your fuslage
making it weaker. After it cures, pop out the steel stock and make a slot for
the towhook. If you cut down the length of the towhook, it will be easier to
install it. You really only need about 1/2 - 5/8" on the hook. All the rest is
extra weight.
Put a bolt into the hook to fasten it to the fuselage. That's all it takes.
If this is beyond your metal working skills, check out the nice hook at www.hilaunch.com.
If you have comments or suggestions, email me at mikel@eclipse.net