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  #1  
Old 11-18-2012, 02:27 PM
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jdeas jdeas is offline
 
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Location: SoCal
Posts: 626
Default Best way to lift a tailwheel

Looking for the best way to lift a 7 off the gear so I can do the wheelpants.
Engine is on tail feathers off so it's front heavy.
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RV-7 N314SY (KWHP)
IO-360-B1B

CANbus based trim/flaps and electrical
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  #2  
Old 11-18-2012, 02:55 PM
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Are the wings on??
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Mike Starkey
VAF 909

Rv-10, N210LM.

Flying as of 12/4/2010

Phase 1 done, 2/4/2011

Sold after 240+ wonderful hours of flight.

"Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything about it."
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  #3  
Old 11-18-2012, 03:08 PM
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DRBuilder DRBuilder is offline
 
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Location: Wake Forest, NC
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Default Lifting a tail dragger

I set some weight on the back deck and strapped an engine hoist to the motor mount. Worked perfectly. I only lifted one side at a time though. Never tried to lift both sides at once......
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Dennis Roberts
Wake Forest, NC
EAA 1114, Apex, NC
N713DR Super-7 IO/540 SOLD
http://www.drrv7.com
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  #4  
Old 11-18-2012, 04:10 PM
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Default Wings

Wings are off. I was thinking of using the wing jacks on the firewall corners with a wood block to spread the load.
I did the engine lift on a 7A and it worked great but it falls apart a bit with the tail wheel config
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RV-7 N314SY (KWHP)
IO-360-B1B

CANbus based trim/flaps and electrical
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  #5  
Old 11-18-2012, 04:19 PM
Kyle Boatright Kyle Boatright is offline
 
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Location: Atlanta, GA
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Best choice is to do this before mounting the engine, but in your situation I'd use broad straps on the big engine mount tubes and as close to the bolts as possible. Put a little weight on the tail deck and you'll be fine.
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Marietta, GA
2001 RV-6 N46KB
2019(?) RV-10
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  #6  
Old 11-18-2012, 04:43 PM
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I used jacks under the spar carry through on the 10-------but I do not think your plane has these. Is the structure under the belly strong enough to hold the weight if jacked up there?

Photos here. http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ad.php?t=68674
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Mike Starkey
VAF 909

Rv-10, N210LM.

Flying as of 12/4/2010

Phase 1 done, 2/4/2011

Sold after 240+ wonderful hours of flight.

"Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything about it."
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  #7  
Old 11-18-2012, 05:17 PM
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Default Good thread

Thanks for the thread. It will be useful this week. The jack point for me (no tail feathers and engine on) seems to be the firewall corners under the steel gussets.
Just kinda afraid to do it there as I have never seen it done like this.
I tried the main spar but the amount of weight I would have to add to the tail to keep the engine up was uncomfortably large.
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RV-7 N314SY (KWHP)
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CANbus based trim/flaps and electrical
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  #8  
Old 11-18-2012, 06:11 PM
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Here's how I did it on my 6. Used the bottle jack and a 4x4 block to lift and then rested it back on the 4x4's on the jack stands. Jack and stands courtesy of Harbor Freight.







Dave
RV-6
Waiting for calmer winds
to resume Phase I flights
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  #9  
Old 11-18-2012, 06:24 PM
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Default Same thought

Quote:
Originally Posted by dsvajda View Post
Here's how I did it on my 6. Used the bottle jack and a 4x4 block to lift and then rested it back on the 4x4's on the jack stands. Jack and stands courtesy of Harbor Freight.
kinda what I had in mind myself. I built a couple of wing jacks with the same cyl. I was thinking of pulling the exhaust though. I figured if I lifted the tail first that this might be a way to get it done.
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RV-7 N314SY (KWHP)
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CANbus based trim/flaps and electrical
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  #10  
Old 11-18-2012, 06:25 PM
humptybump humptybump is offline
 
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At each condition inspection on my RV-8, we jack from the landing gear mounting point. On a -7, is this forward of the CG? If so it is designed to carry the weight of the entire airplane.
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