Used along with a catapult assembled from a fork and rubber band included in the air track set (1021090), the launch apparatus imparts uniform, reproducible launch momentum to a glider which is dependent on the tension in the rubber band. It consists of an iron core, a solenoid coil and an armature. The iron core is attached to the end of the air track where it provides a mount for the coil. The glider is connected to the coil via the armature and catapult. When the current is interrupted, the tensed rubber band imparts energy to the glider. A switch box (1019301) is used to activate the system.