LATS Truck (Launch Area Technical Support Truck) with an Alpha on it.

OK, technically I suppose it doesn't look like an Alpha, but there is an Alpha sitting on it.  I wanted to put this picture up here, but the site will only accept it as a rocket picture. Eventually I will write a review/build or some form of article on this with much more detail and photos.

Anyway...It has been designed to help me carry all my motors, tools, wadding, cameras etc. to the launch site without having a team of roadies or making half a dozen trips.  The lower toolbox has tools, spare parachutes, tape and other such supplies, the upper toolbox has dividers in it with individual drawers for all my different engine types, igniters and wadding.  They are in these removeable toolboxes so that I can lift them out seperately when getting this in and out of my car. If it was all together it would be way to heavy to lift and move indoors and up/down steps. Rather than re-invent the wheel, I used a standard steel utility cart. The hangars on the sides are used to hold the launcher, rods, cameras, etc.  You may also notice it carries my flight notes on clipboards, tape, ingitor box, sanding stick, altimeters, motor removal pliers, pen, box of wadding, jacket...

Necessity is the mom of invention, and I had the need to 1) save time and energy on launch days walking to-and-from the car to the clubs launch area.  I can get a lot more flights in by saving the time to walk back-and-forth from my car to the launch area which often is very far from the "legal" parking area.  Also while remaining at the launch area I get to be more involved in other's rocket launches.  2) I needed a better place to fold parachutes, assemble rockets, prep engines, write down altimeter data etc.  It is also much easier on my knees and the laundry because I don't have to work on the ground all the time.  I can also just throw things on the table from time to time and not worry about them getting lost.  In this picture, I just left the Alpha there after its flight so I could quickly prep the X-Ray for the last flight of the day.  The table surface on the right side of this picture is covered in a cork padding, and the edges are framed to prevent small objects from rolling off the ends.  The table surface also folds down, allowing easier rolling across the field and loading into and out of the back of my SUV. The wheels then become the lowest / most rearward point so it is easy to roll into the back of my car.  Of course it is much lighter to lift when the toolboxes are removed.  When they are in place, the weight of them (mostly the bottom one) prevents the truck from tipping over.  Of course, if someone were to lean real hard on the end of the table...  Fortunately that has not happened yet.  I could have made two seperate legs to the ground, but I didn't want to have to deal with finding a level spot for the cart every where I went.  With this method, I just need a small flat area for the toolbox.

I was going to paint it in very cool colors, but my desire to get it into use was so strong I just screwed all the hardware onto it and clamped it onto the truck without finishing it.

OK, I know this must look at least a little geeky, but someday everybody will have one!

OK, I'm not the coolest rocketeer in the club because I don't launch the really big stuff, but this gets me pretty damn close!