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01-10-2018, 07:37 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Mesa, AZ
Posts: 164
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Lifting the '8 tail?
Relatively new owner of an RV-8 and find that lifting the tail for maintenance is pretty awkward (and surprisingly heavy). Case 1 is to get tailwheel onto a support so that fuselage is level. Case 2 is to get tailwheel unloaded and off the ground to work on it specifically.
Was wondering how other non-powerlifters do this?  I was thinking maybe a 2"-wide padded strap around rear empenage and the shop crane? Possibly hard to find the right angle to avoid the horizontal? Maybe a chain hoist from the rafters?
Thanks,
Andy
__________________
Andy Elliott, CFI, RV-8, N303RV
Flight Reviews, Dynamic Prop Balancing
KFFZ, Mesa, AZ
2020 Dues Paid
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01-10-2018, 11:14 AM
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Super Moderator
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 752
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Andy:
If you can find a "Tail-Mate" buy it. It will become one of your favorite tools for the -8. I don't believe they are manufactured anymore but someone may have one for sale. That someone would NOT be me. I'm being buried with mine
Chris
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Chris Pratt (2020 VAF DUES PAID)
RV-8 Flying, 850+hours
N898DK
Lycoming O-360-A1A, Hartzell CS
52F (Northwest Regional, Aero Valley, Whatever, TX)
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01-10-2018, 11:58 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: 08A
Posts: 9,500
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Two-part line (soft polyester rope) and a 6" block hung from the ceiling works great. Use a rope yoke to lift from the tailwheel spring, not the tail.
Best stand ever (because it is really stable); engine stand with a wheel cup on a big acme screw.

__________________
Dan Horton
RV-8 SS
Barrett IO-390
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01-10-2018, 04:59 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Central IL
Posts: 5,516
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chrispratt
Andy:
If you can find a "Tail-Mate" buy it. It will become one of your favorite tools for the -8. I don't believe they are manufactured anymore but someone may have one for sale. That someone would NOT be me. I'm being buried with mine
Chris
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Pictures are available, but any chance you could give some dimensions for the lengths? The tubing looks to be 1", but do you know the wall thickness - .063" or .090? And since the questions are flowing, with the tail hoisted up, is it pretty stable, no flex in the tubes?
Thanks!!
__________________
Bill
RV-7
Lord Kelvin:
“I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about,
and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you
cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge
is of a meager and unsatisfactory kind.”
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01-10-2018, 06:20 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 181
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Not mine, I just happened to save the photo.

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Dave Binkley
RV-6, O-360-A1A, C/S
1932 Monocoupe 110, Warner 145 ( http://gobinkley.com)
Sedona, AZ
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01-10-2018, 06:41 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 745
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I dunno---I just grab the tail wheel spring and muscle it up. I'm 75---you've gotta be younger than me.  I have a small footstool thingy with metal feet, and a cushion on top I bought from a furniture store. It's maybe 18" tall. I put the tail wheel spring on the foot stool. That arrangement doesn't touch the fuselage, but leaves the tail wheel totally free to take off, or whatever you want to do. Footstool cost me maybe 25 bux??
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01-10-2018, 07:17 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Edinburg, TX
Posts: 617
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Tail Mate!!!
I was lucky and bought one of the last tail mates. It gets used by all of the tailwheel guys on the airport. Someone needs to start making them again. They work great on most all tailwheel airplanes that have the tailwheel on a spring or stinger and have rudder clearance.
__________________
RV-3 Rebuilding
RV-9 Flying and having fun, experimenting and having fun, did I mention flying and having fun?
RV-6A SOLD
Maule M5-235C SOLD
C-172G SOLD
Stinson L5 SOLD
Grumman AA1A SOLD
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01-10-2018, 08:37 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: LA, California
Posts: 323
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Lift cart
I use a Harbor Fright lift cart: https://www.harborfreight.com/1000-l...art-69148.html
Bought it when I had a 20% off coupon.
With some padding on it, roll under a bulkhead near the tail and hoist away. I also put a scale on it for the tailwheel when it was time to weigh the plane. Easy to hoist the tail to level the longerons. Handy also for lifting the lower cowl for re-installation.
Ed Holyoke
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01-10-2018, 08:37 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: OH
Posts: 140
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If someone would send me some pictures of the Tail mate I would make them .
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01-11-2018, 06:34 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Central IL
Posts: 5,516
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Use the wayback machine and check out tail-mate.com
They started out at $179 and stopped production at $350 plus shipping.
From those who have a tail-mate, dimensions of the tall pieces and wall thickness would be most appreciated.
__________________
Bill
RV-7
Lord Kelvin:
“I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about,
and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you
cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge
is of a meager and unsatisfactory kind.”
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