Flying in two directions

[froggy_2810]

Hi guys,

I am currently researching means of flying a soft toy dog both up and off to the side in a "\" direction. I amgoing to put two points on the dog to attach to the lines, one round its neck and one just before its hind legs so that when it flys out it stays the right way up and facing the right direction. The venue has a counterweight flying system already so my question to all you blue roomers is what methods would you use? I already have a few ideas of my own, I am curious to what other people would do?

Many Thanks

Craig

[aidso]

curtain track. Put curtain track along the length of travel across a bar and put a pulley attached to the runners. Have one person pulling curtain track line at the same time the bar goes out.

[froggy_2810]

That was one of the options I had considered in all honesty, seems to be the simplest and easiest.

[Seano]

If you're talking about a stuffed toy weighing approximately nowt, simplest and easiest is most likely to ignore the counterweight system altogether and run your trick string over a pulley or two in a hemp set spot line stylee. (Of course this could be rigged on a counterweight bar - but don't bother moving it for the cue. Just play around to dead it at the right height for your effect then leave it there.)

 

Could your fluffy dog be dropped on someone's head from the fly floor without harming them?

If so: buy string - experiment with string.

The simplest arrangement possible is a single string on a single pulley - the dog starts off to one side of the pulley and so swings as its lifted, the string is simply pulled hand over hand. Timing is the key, and a little practice. It sounds like this is a comedy effect, we talking panto here? If so, its not a problem that it's inevitably going to look pretty cheesy. Learn to love cheesy. :)

[librarian28]

I've got to stop playing like this :

http://www.flyingeffects.co.uk/demo9.html

 

I've tried to show a tab track with a couple of bobbins running along it.

[GridGirl]

Aidso's idea is what I would do - or, if you wanted to make it a single-person operation job, it's not much harder! Curtain track on the bar, then attach a pulley to a bobbin. Presuming that the soft toy dog is not going to hurt anyone if it falls on them (and if it is, use appropriately rated line!), tie a piece of sash cord to the end of the curtain track, run it through the pulley and then down to the dog. Attach a curtain track pull line to the bobbin, and run it to the opposite end of the track - and then when you pull the pull line, the bobbin will move towards you, shortening the drop line and the dog will fly upwards and towards you! Might take some experimentation with the right dead on the curtain track, and the right length of sash cord to get the across vs up distance correct, but it should work! I've drawn a rough picture because my explanation was a little convoluted....

 

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e26/kiwitechgirl/flying.jpg

[Modge]

Think about whether the stuffed toy will actually be heavier than the rope \ cord it's on. You may find you need to attach some weight to it some where.

[Ellis]

Attach two pulleys to the leader of a curtain track. Run a rope from the operating end of the track, over a geader pulley and through one of the travelling pulleys, down through another pulley(attached to the item being lifted) and up through the second travelling pulley and secure to the far end of the track.

 

This way, the traverse operation and lift operation are independant.

[David Ripley]

Image attached of how to do it using CW bar and sash. This gives you vertical, horizontal and diagonal flying

 

http://i1003.photobucket.com/albums/af154/r1pper5/Noname.jpg

 

The sash runs from the ground pulley to the end of the bar. Along to the other end and back. (The pulley block here is obviously rotated 90 degrees) Then through a pulley and up to one in the grid which goes back to the start point. This is one loop just like a tabtrack.

 

By letting the sash run free the bar can be moved vertically. The cuddly can move horizontally via the sash cord. By holding the sash at the 'pinch point' and flying the bar diagonal movement is created.

 

You can also pull the sash whilst flying and create all sorts of motion using this method although it relies on coordination between ground and flies. Tripe E have the up/down pulley block.

 

This is also a good exercise to use with students (and some staff I've known!) I've used it a few times for suns/moons etc

 

HTH

 

David

[AndyJones]

I used Grid girls method to produce

so it can work!

(Admittedly the wardrobe uses a slightly more complicated system involving a triple purchase pulley system to make the wardrobe split in the correct way in relation to the speed of the bar.)

 

Good luck!