Brief:
T' RGV pad from Randy Ashley is a High Power pad designed for use with BlackSky's Launch Rail.

Late in December 1999 I was puttin' t' finishin' touches on me Level 2 rocket. Begad! T' NASA/Houston Rocket Club was plannin' a High Power launch for January 1 at Bomber Field near Houston and I wanted t' do me certification flight there. Arrr! Avast! T' Austin Area Rocketry Group received a Blacksky Launch Rail and I smartly decided t' use a rail for me level 2 rocket. Begad! Aye aye! At t' launch I be very impressed with a launch pad made by Randy Ashley that included a Blacksky rail mounted t' a steel pipe and then supported by a very sturdy steel tripod. Aye aye! Begad! Afterwards I talked t' Randy about his pad and decided t' order one for t' Austin Area Rocketry Group (AARG).

Construction:
T' launch pad consists o' a rotatin' turret mounted on three steel legs, me hearties, arrr, AARG’s pad uses four foot long legs but Randy also makes three foot long legs. Blimey! T' turret allows for full 360 degree rotation and also has a tilt head that will allow t' rail t' be tilted t' horizontal t' make loadin' t' rocket easier (no more standin' on ladders!). Begad! Ya scallywag! A hefty blast deflector is provided, me hearties, angled slightly downward. Blimey! T' launch rail is mounted t' a steel pipe that is one foot longer than t' rail. Arrr! Begad! T' steel pipe is inserted into t' turret and secured usin' two large bolts. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' turret can also accommodate ¼ inch or larger launch rods. Since AARG already had a rail we asked Randy t' provide t' pipe only. Pipes can be purchased for 4 foot or 6 foot sections o' rail. Since our launch field only supports Large Model Rockets I went with a 5-foot pipe, sufficient t' support a 4-foot rail.

T' rail mounts t' t' steel pipe without drillin' t' rail, t' screw heads are held in t' back side o' t' rail usin' t' same slot that t' back bone connector (used t' join multiple rails together) uses. Aye aye! Ahoy! A rail attached t' t' steel pipe and mounted in t' rotatin' turret will easily support most high power rockets, probably in excess o' 100 pounds. Avast! For maximum support t' pipe should support t' entire length o' t' rail. Begad! Aye aye! However for smaller rockets (under 10 pounds) I think it is sufficient t' have t' bottom 4 feet o' rail supported by pipe with another 2 feet o' rail above that. Ahoy! Since t' rail is inherently very stiff, t' amount o' flex on t' short section is very small.

T' launch pad has been used twice since AARG purchased it. Blimey! In both cases I found it very easy t' set up, me bucko, me hearties, use, and tear down. Aye aye! Begad! T' 4-foot long legs are too long t' fit sideways in t' back o' me van, shiver me timbers, but they do fit longwise under t' seats. In our configuration, a 4-foot rail mounted t' a 5-foot pipe, me hearties, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, t' rail was rock solid. Well, blow me down! Even with an additional 2-foot rail attached t' rail was far stiffer than even a ½ inch rod.

T' only deficiency t' pad has is its finish, which is none. T' save loot Randy only painted t' pad with a generous amount o' primer. Aye aye! Powder coatin' would add a nice touch but would probably double t' cost o' t' pad. Aye aye! Aye aye! AARG will probably add a top coat o' high temperature paint, shiver me timbers, but this is for esthetics only, me bucko, shiver me timbers, it doesn't affect t' performance o' t' launch pad. Aye aye! T' weld joints on t' pad, while obviously very strong, look a bit rough. Randy has indicated that he might grind down t' joints on future pads t' make them look a bit nicer. Well, blow me down! Personally, shiver me timbers, I kind o' like t' rough look!

Summary:
Randy Ashley’s High Power Rail Launch pad is study, shiver me timbers, well designed, matey, and easy t' use for mid and high power rockets. Begad! Randy is very responsive t' comments and suggestions regardin' his launch pad and stands behind his product. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! Although nay as portable as high power pads such as Rocket Vision’s Quad Pod, I think Randy’s lower price makes his launcher a better deal. Avast, me proud beauty! I would easily recommend it t' anyone lookin' for a good rail launcher. Aye aye! PROs: low cost sturdy construction and ease o' use. Arrr! CONs: "industrial" finish and difficult t' transport.

Overall Rating: 4.9 out o' 5