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EAA Tie-Down Stakes - Wow!!
Last year, in anticipation of going to Oshkosh (which didn't happen because of work schedules), I made a set of those EAA tie-down stakes - the ones with a triangular plate and three straight spikes that you drive in at angles. I couldn't really believe that three skinny stakes could provide much holding power, but I built them per plans, and they've sat on my hangar shelf ever since.
I had a chance to use them last week to tie down a friend's -6 at the end of our hangar row, and after she left for home today, I went to pull the things out of the ground. Holy Cow!! I'm convinced that if we'd had a big windstorm last week, we'd have gone out and found a pair of wings and a tail wheel still tied down with everything else gone! :D I finally got them out with two crowbars and a large block of wood used as a fulcrum. (I was close to going to get my friend's tractor to pull them out with the front blade...) I now have no doubt these things will hold - even though I'm not sure how they do it! Paul |
Got a picture or a link?
Are these lighter than the ones where the auger is made from a big split washer? |
Tiedown instructions
http://www.vintageaircraft.org/magaz...ft_tiedown.pdf
Aircraft Spruce also has a similar kit available. John Clark RV8 N18U KSBA |
I've used my set at Oshkosh the last four times we've flown in, and they ARE unbelievable. I was the same as Paul when trying to get them out of the ground!
:cool: |
Yup, John's link is to the ones I'm talking about! I just hope I can figure out how to get them out without carrying a 20 lb. crowbar to every fly-in....;)
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Paul,
Put a vice grip on the end of the pin so that you can apply some torque to the pin as you pull it. Even re-bar usually slides right out if you twist while you are pulling. Pat |
Pat is right, the answer is to put in some rotation while pulling. I made a "puller" that engages a hex head on the stake so that it can be twisted while pulliing. Weighs less than the a crowbar. :D
John Clark RV8 N18U KSBA |
A box end wrench also works as long as it fits over the end.
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I made them too and I'm glad I have Rich to pull them back out for me. They do work well.
Roberta |
Pulling out the stakes
I have a similar tie-down set and had a large single chain link welded to the side of the top bolt of each rod. I could then attach a rope or chain to get a good grip for pulling the rods out. If you can rotate the rods before trying to pull them out it sure helps! I've actually needed to pull them out with my 4X4 a couple of times....I think the failure point would be with the tie down bracket in the wings using this set-up!
Al Thomas N880AT RV-8A (Finishing kit) |
Get the Claw
The Claw kit is well worth the money. Everything you need is there incuding tie down line. The stakes come out with almost no effort. Together they hold better than most anything out there. Living in the land of thunderstorms where roll clouds can pack a powerful punch, I want the best hanging on to my investment.
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/pspages/claw.php |
Ditto...I tried out a set of the "claws" and bought a couple more sets for friends. I'm to lazy to build my own, and their little kit of tie downs is just great! I can wholeheartedly recommend them (even if you can build a set of your own cheaper).
Cheers, Stein RV6, Minneapolis |
tie downs
I made some very slick ones a couple years ago. I can't claim credit for the design. I copied a vintage plane anchor contraption at SNF a few years ago.
Stop by the junk yard, ( where all good projects commence), and pick up a chunk of a plastic roller. They are used on conveyor systems in industry. They are about 3 inches in diameter. Slice up in 1" thick 'hockey pucks". Drill and countersink a rope sized hole in the center. Drill 3 angled holes for the pins around the top of the disc. The angle is not critical. You just want to grab as big a hunk of soil as possible. I used alum tubes for the pins to keep it light. Installation: set the disk on the ground with the rope fimly attached under the wing or tail. Drive the 3 pins. Tie rope to plane. complete. I cross drilled the tops of the pins and put small clipon pins so I could pull the pins w/ a claw hammer. Its all very light and rolls up into a skinny bag. cary rhodes |
Thread Revival
Can anyone reference the EAA Sport Aviation month and year that the tie-down article appeared in? |
Try this link:
http://www.vintageaircraft.org/magaz...ft_tiedown.pdf If it doesn't work, go to EAA AirVenture, look under pilot info and you will see a tying down link and a link in the article to the tiedowns. They work Great as I made a set, too. Roberta |
Thanks for the reply, but that is not the article I was looking for. Edit: Now that I look at my first post, it was pretty poorly worded.
Two calls to EAA later, and I have my answer. (The people at EAA are very helpful.) Sport Aviation, April 2004, "Building a Better Tie Down," page 110 The advantage of the tie-down described there is that no metal cutting is required, and it's straight simplicity. PM me if you would like a copy of the article. |
16" Super STake
I just returned from Lowe's Aviation Supply and Feed Store where I bought three of these 16" Super Stakes for $3.97 each.
![]() These stakes tend to hold well in sand but can be a pain to stick in the ground where there are rocks or hard pack dirt. |
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Tiedown easy removal
Be careful when choosing a tiedown. All systems have their pro?s and con?s. Things to consider. 1. Ease of removal - Flyties have special pull device that slips under the steak head to allow removal with minimum effort. 2. Tiedowns must be used as instructed. The Claw system works, but any side loading can result in failure. See video produced by Storm Force (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2UC5...eature=related ).
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Old topic with some recent postings
Do a search on "tie-downs" in these forums and you'll find several, more recent discussions of "tie-downs."
A moderator :rolleyes: should probably spend time to merge these threads as they show up in "General Discussion," "Safety" and "Reviews" forums. |
I've been looking for these. I first made a set of these back in the 1990's when I believe I found them in Kitplanes Magazine.
Yes, they work great! |
Go Ti
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Oops. Just realized I'm replying to something from 5 years ago, but the offer still stands. :o |
Tie downs
I went to S & F after the big blow 2 years ago and was disheartened at the carnage.... I had EAA style tiedowns with me and used them. As I was driving in the 18 inch pins I could feel that there was not much resistance until I got to about 10 inches! Then it was nice to feel them bite.
I came away thinking that depending on soil conditions, sometimes you don't have much "hold" unless you go deep. Some systems don't go very far down :(. Granted rocks can be an issue, and pulling then out is tough sometimes ( like the twisting suggestion!) but let's face it, the whole idea is to get the best hold possible!! I love my home made EAA tiedowns. |
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i think the problem is when the ground is soaked, do they still hold then?
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safety first! know where you are pounding!
Even if you are at your home field, you are in danger of puncturing an irrigation line, phone cable, gas line, or power cable when you start pounding in 18" stakes!!!
These things are seldom marked, and even the locals probably don't know where they all are. Not really a nice thing to get electrocuted....or even have to pay to fix something you stabbed! At least ask the airport manager if it's ok, or where to tie-down; then you have a little butt-coverage should things go badly. |
These tie downs work, I built a set before the last trip to OSH.
EAA ought to have a roving Bob Cat to assist getting the pins out of the ground when its time to leave. :) |
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My version of the EAA Tiedowns
Here's a few pics of my recently completed EAA tiedowns.
For convenience sake, the original plans are here: EAA Tie Down Plans I made a few changes. Yes, untested but I promise to report if my mods don't pan out. Basic change was to make the stakes out of tubing rather than rod. The numbers say they are bit lighter and a lot stiffer. This with the increased surface area for loamy soil should be positive. The negative should be high driving force into hard soils. Used 3/8" OD by .035 wall SS tubing. I was prepared to lathe turn some ends for the tubing but I found some SS carriage bolts in the bin so they became the ends. I threaded the tubing, cut the bolts (they were too long) and used the scrap for the pointed end. My son (a professional welder) TIG welded the parts together and then I sharpened the pointy ends with a bench grinder. I got the rope from West Marine while I was in Key West (trip report elsewhere). Here is the lot, prior to me sharpening the tips. ![]() Brackets from 1/8" 6061. TLAR design. Did not run the numbers but should not be weak link in system. ![]() Closeup of the stakes with carriage bolt head and before and after of tip sharpening. ![]() Now I have to cajole SWMBO into sewing me a bag for this stuff...:eek: |
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