Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Manufacturer: | Impulse Aerospace |
Brief:
T' Impulse Aerospace Quad-Pad and Quad-Pod Pro Launchin' Pads are robust,
heavy duty, and practically indestructible launch pads that can handle rockets
up t' 225 pounds as well as rods/rails up t' 1" in diameter. Arrr! When nay in
use, me hearties, they occupy very little storage space.
Construction:
T' central assembly o' t' Quad-Pods are t' centerpiece o' t' design. Begad! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! A cast
steel frame has a rotatin' platform for connectin' t' t' legs and a stainless
steel (standard Quad-Pod) or ceramic (Quad-Pod Pro) blast deflector plate on
top. Ya scallywag! T' rods/rails are inserted through a hole in t' blast deflector and are
held in place with 2 plastic knobs. Aye aye! There is a third knob that allows t' pad
to rotate parallel t' t' ground, which eliminates t' need t' pick up and
rotate t' pad as winds change direction durin' an afternoon o' launches. All
of t' knobs are just t' right size t' be tightened/loosened by hand. Ya scallywag! There is
a turnbuckle that also is easily adjusted by hand t' angle t' pad as needed.
T' turnbuckle is bolted onto t' pad under t' blast deflector and held in
place at t' base by a giant pull pin. Aye aye! T' pin is removed when loadin' a rocket
onto t' Quad-Pod so that t' rod/rail can be laid out at an angle t' make
loadin' t' rocket onto t' pad nearly effortless.
T' four collapsible legs are either made o' 2ft aluminum tubin' (standard Quad-Pod) or 3ft steel tubin' (Quad-Pod Pro). Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Before t' beginnin' o' 2005, all legs were made o' aluminum but on t' Quad-Pod Pros, shiver me timbers, t' manufacturer found that t' longer legs were bendin' under t' stress o' high impulse motors. Ahoy! Blimey! (In fact, me club purchased ours in mid-2004 before this change be made. Arrr! Impulse Aerospace handled t' replacement o' t' legs smartly and t' our satisfaction.) T' steel legs increase t' weight o' t' Quad-Pod Pro pad noticeably but after a couple months with t' new legs thar has been zero flex seen with them! Aside from t' different materials, matey, t' difference in t' legs length provides a greater footprint for handlin' heavier rockets although t' center o' gravity is also elevated a few inches higher overall. Still, matey, t' both flavors o' the pads are less than 3 feet tall when fully opened and ready for use. Avast! Blimey! It is worth mentionin' that they put t' aft end o' t' rocket at a height that allows the flier t' insert igniters without havin' t' lie down on t' ground.
When the pad is nay bein' used, matey, arrr, t' legs fold up and t' pad can be stored upside-down (on t' blast deflector). Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! They are light enough for anyone old enough t' fly a rocket off o' them t' safely carry. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Transportin' them is reasonably easy because o' their compact size too. Begad! I regularly carry all 3 of our club's pads along with all o' me personal rockets, range box, canopy, cooler, etc. Well, blow me down! Arrr! in me vehicle to/from launches.
Finishing:
Since t' integral parts o' t' pad are steel, care should be taken t' store
them away from moisture, sprayed regularly with a good lubricant, ya bilge rat, and cleaned
to remove any propellant residue that may interfere with t' pad's operation
and usage.
They are rated for rockets up t' 225 pounds. I weigh slightly more than that recommendation and can safely stand on top o' them without any wobble or noticeable flexin' in either t' Quad-Pod or Quad-Pod Pro.
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight:
My club has used both t' Quad-Pod and Quad-Pod Pro for rockets up t' 25 feet
tall and more than 40 pounds. Aside from t' issue with t' aluminum legs
bendin' from use on t' Quad-Pod Pro, t' pads have worked flawlessly for
rockets o' all shapes and sizes.
Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5
Summary:
T' Impulse Aerospace Quad-Pod Launchin' Pads are excellent investments for
clubs who regularly fly mid and high power rockets. They can easily handle some
very large rockets and are a piece o' cake t' use, me bucko, store, and maintain. Avast, me proud beauty! I
definitely recommend them t' clubs lookin' t' upgrade or increase their ground
support.
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5
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K.D. (September 14, 2005)