Lifting the 24, Wt & Bal, Towing
Posted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 1:42 pm
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Having gone through the first annual on my F24, some handling issues have arisen, and I'd like to canvas the experienced folks here for methods/advice:
1) What's the safest and most proper way to raise the tail for tailwheel inspection/repair, and for leveling for wt and bal check? I worry about lifting up on the lower fuselage, as it is faired with wood. If I use a padded wide strap is that safe for the airplane? Is there a best location for such a strap or rest device? Weight on tailwheel at basic empty is 155 pounds, so loaded it weighs upward from that. I could remove the sheetmetal fairing around the root of the vertical stabilizer, and get a lifting strap around a cross tube at about fuselage station 7, but that also seems questionable and not too handy.
2) Lifting the main gear -- Has anybody ever removed the big bolts attaching the front wing strut tubes to the tripod and replaced them (temporarily for lifting only) with AN eye-bolt, attaching a shackle and lifting from there with an overhead crane? I'll have to plumb-bob it to be sure, but this lift point seems to be ahead of the wing leading edge when the airplane is in 3-point. In the past I have used an engine hoist and a short nylon strap to lift from the tripod joint. The removal of fairings necessitated by this method is a pain, and much care is needed to avoid damaging the wood fillers (under the fairings) attached to the tripod legs, as well as dinging up the wheel pants on the legs of the hoist. If the tail is up (airplane level), I'm sure the lifting line of an overhead crane would lean on the wing leading edge, which is unacceptable. However, I'll never need to use this method with the tail up, as lifting to level is only needed to get the scales/spacers under the tires for wt and bal checks. Simply jacking up on the little round tube extensions at the bottom of the main gear legs does that job. These areas are easily accessible after removing the inside hub fairings from the wheel pants (if you've still got 'em).
3) Towing -- Is it OK to tow the airplane from the axle of the tailwheel, or from the legs of the tailwheel fork? I want to winch it into the hangar. Hand pushing is a two man job, one on each wing strut. For one-man operation -- I'm short and the airplane is tall -- there is virtually no place to push and control direction. I refuse to push on the leading edge of the stabilizer and yank on the fin for directional control -- it ain't a Cub. My plan is to make a towing attachment that clamps and holds onto the ends of the axle bolt, onto which a winch can be hooked. My main gear legs have the nice tow-rings on them and I have designed and manufactured a very nice aluminum towbar which uses a regular 1 7/8 inch trailer ball coupler which I connect to a hitch ball on a garden tractor. That works great to tow the airplane forward out of a hangar, but towing backward all the way in fairly close to the back wall requires a winch. Anyway, I'm looking for best advice on backward-towing attachment points (tailwheel?).
Sorry this is long winded, but I hope it keeps the response questions cleaner -- not a lot of the usual cross-examination on what, why and how. Thanks in advance for your helpful consideration and advice.
Best Regards,
Tony Lowe
'
Having gone through the first annual on my F24, some handling issues have arisen, and I'd like to canvas the experienced folks here for methods/advice:
1) What's the safest and most proper way to raise the tail for tailwheel inspection/repair, and for leveling for wt and bal check? I worry about lifting up on the lower fuselage, as it is faired with wood. If I use a padded wide strap is that safe for the airplane? Is there a best location for such a strap or rest device? Weight on tailwheel at basic empty is 155 pounds, so loaded it weighs upward from that. I could remove the sheetmetal fairing around the root of the vertical stabilizer, and get a lifting strap around a cross tube at about fuselage station 7, but that also seems questionable and not too handy.
2) Lifting the main gear -- Has anybody ever removed the big bolts attaching the front wing strut tubes to the tripod and replaced them (temporarily for lifting only) with AN eye-bolt, attaching a shackle and lifting from there with an overhead crane? I'll have to plumb-bob it to be sure, but this lift point seems to be ahead of the wing leading edge when the airplane is in 3-point. In the past I have used an engine hoist and a short nylon strap to lift from the tripod joint. The removal of fairings necessitated by this method is a pain, and much care is needed to avoid damaging the wood fillers (under the fairings) attached to the tripod legs, as well as dinging up the wheel pants on the legs of the hoist. If the tail is up (airplane level), I'm sure the lifting line of an overhead crane would lean on the wing leading edge, which is unacceptable. However, I'll never need to use this method with the tail up, as lifting to level is only needed to get the scales/spacers under the tires for wt and bal checks. Simply jacking up on the little round tube extensions at the bottom of the main gear legs does that job. These areas are easily accessible after removing the inside hub fairings from the wheel pants (if you've still got 'em).
3) Towing -- Is it OK to tow the airplane from the axle of the tailwheel, or from the legs of the tailwheel fork? I want to winch it into the hangar. Hand pushing is a two man job, one on each wing strut. For one-man operation -- I'm short and the airplane is tall -- there is virtually no place to push and control direction. I refuse to push on the leading edge of the stabilizer and yank on the fin for directional control -- it ain't a Cub. My plan is to make a towing attachment that clamps and holds onto the ends of the axle bolt, onto which a winch can be hooked. My main gear legs have the nice tow-rings on them and I have designed and manufactured a very nice aluminum towbar which uses a regular 1 7/8 inch trailer ball coupler which I connect to a hitch ball on a garden tractor. That works great to tow the airplane forward out of a hangar, but towing backward all the way in fairly close to the back wall requires a winch. Anyway, I'm looking for best advice on backward-towing attachment points (tailwheel?).
Sorry this is long winded, but I hope it keeps the response questions cleaner -- not a lot of the usual cross-examination on what, why and how. Thanks in advance for your helpful consideration and advice.
Best Regards,
Tony Lowe
'