This machine will throw a LOT further next year and actually get a paint job so it looks decent. I'm planning on breaking our personal record for distance.
Sorry I hadn't seen this sooner. Ripcord had been working of his Guillotine mechanism for several years. The purpose was to allow a Merlin type unlimited drop tower to merge into a FAT type re-direct tract. If I'm reading everything correctly, it looks like he finally got it right.
I have 12 of Ripcord's full color illustrations showing an axle transfer mechanism to achieve the same purpose as the traps shown above. I will be happy to post them if any one requests it.