This is a launcher for a flying model rocket. The model sat vertically on the stand, and the wires running from the battery through the hand-held controller were attached to the motors at the aft end of the model. When the switch on the hand-held controller was activated, the current flowed to the motors. They began burning, lifting the model off the stand. It is not known whether this launcher was ever used. Neither its manufacturer nor donor are known.
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.