How Many Ways to Launch?

Shawn wrote:

OscarCVox wrote:
OK, I'll bite: name 10 (listing different makes of tow vehicles or of tow
planes does not count)


Hmm I will try
Autotow
reverse pully auto tow
Winch
winch with winch retrieve
Bungey
Shoulder launch
aerotow
Horse tow ( I know it sounds daft but I believe that they used a horse
and a tow rope at Dunstable pre war)

Now i am stuck. Any others?


Balloon drop. Seen it for hang gliders
Helicopter drop (tail first-done in airshows)
Rocket launch
Aircraft drop-like Space Ship 1, X-n
Pay-out winch
Catapult? (How much altitude could you get off the deck of a carrier?)

There was an article in S & G some years ago concerning some experiments
done by the Fleet Air Arm just after WWII looking at airflows around
aircraft carriers. IIRC they used a Slingsby Tutor modified with chord
extensions to give an extremely low stalling speed: this was tethered, with
pilot in, and became airborne easily behind a ship steaming into wind.

Not sure if this counts.