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Fuselage Transportation Stick

Gandalf

Well Known Member
Well I "finished" the fuselage and now need to transport it to the airport where it will be mated to the tail and wings! I was able to install a "transportation stick" to the bulkhead using pieces of 2X4 and two 7 inch long 3/8 inch bolts. I used 4 pieces of 2X4 as spacers (providing three inches of space) under the bulkhead and above the transportation stick. Pictures below:

StickSideView.jpg

I plan to add a lifting handle to this stick.
BulkheadBottomView.jpg

Convenient opening in fuselage to tighten nut.
StickInnerView.jpg

Adequate clearance. Be sure to clear the brake lines.
BulkheadTopView.jpg

Note the invisible helper on the bolt head.
 
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For the times that we have ground transported an RV-12 fuselage (usually on the wheels), we have a piece of plywood sized to just slip through the spar stub slots on each side of the fuselage.
It has a couple holes cut with a hole saw to allow inserting the spar pins., and a hole on each end where it sticks out of the fuselage for attaching hooks on ratchet straps
 
For the times that we have ground transported an RV-12 fuselage (usually on the wheels), we have a piece of plywood sized to just slip through the spar stub slots on each side of the fuselage.
It has a couple holes cut with a hole saw to allow inserting the spar pins., and a hole on each end where it sticks out of the fuselage for attaching hooks on ratchet straps

Good idea! So do most folks install the landing gear before moving the fuselage? I was planning on moving the fuselage to the airport, installing the ADHARS stiffener and then attaching the tail. I could add the plywood as you suggest and build a four wheeled dolly with four points of fixation.

Jeff
 
What I always recommend, and what I think that most people do, is do as much work in your home shop as you can. Once you move the project to the airport, progress often slows somewhat. This happens for a lot of different reasons... the work environment (temperature) isn't nearly as comfortable, the travel time involved (hard to justify working on it for just an hour or two if travel time will be an hour round trip), etc.

If transporting without the gear greatly simplifies the moving process, then it might outweigh other benefits.
 
What I always recommend, and what I think that most people do, is do as much work in your home shop as you can. Once you move the project to the airport, progress often slows somewhat. This happens for a lot of different reasons... the work environment (temperature) isn't nearly as comfortable, the travel time involved (hard to justify working on it for just an hour or two if travel time will be an hour round trip), etc.

If transporting without the gear greatly simplifies the moving process, then it might outweigh other benefits.

Well, ahem. Hard to imagine my going any slower and I see your point. I still have the fuselage shipping box which is sadly pretty empty now. The sides of the shipping box are 7 1/4 inches tall which just happens to fit into the wing slots. I may go ahead and build a fuselage dolly in my garage and see about a shopping trip to Aurora, Oregon. I have an enclosed trailer so I could transport the fuselage on a dolly.

I appreciate the experienced advice,
Jeff at MFR

Edit: Here is the wooden wing spar salvaged from the side of the fuselage shipping box:

wingSparTiedToLandingGear.jpg

wingSparAndDowels.jpg


I went and looked at an RV12 at Butch and Bryan Milani's hangar at MFR and took some measurements. So I decided to move the tail cone back to my garage and connect the tail cone in my garage while I await the finish kit.
 
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False spars

Made from 3/4" plywood rather than the crate scrap which is not structurally sound.
CTT_3806-L.jpg

CTT_3805-L.jpg

CTT_3899-L.jpg

The false spars provide solid tie down hard points for transportation.

I keep my false spars in the hangar along with other useful fixtures like the wing rack, EAA work tables and the fuselage horses.

All these wood things got a couple coats of clear polyurethane, 'cause here in Washington wood will mildew in an unheated hangar.
 
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It is much easier moving and securing in a truck or trailer without the wheels. I have moved my 9A fuselage several times over 700 miles by myself. I tried once with the wheels on and I didn't like the bounce so I removed them and set the fuselage back down on the trailer. It is fun to assemble the plane and a great motivator, but it is harder to move that way.
 
Made from 3/4" plywood rather than the crate scrap which is not structurally sound.

Good point and nice work. I will need to build a set of false spars like your's out of plywood for transporting the finished aircraft.

I think the combination of wooden landing gear (2X4) tied into the crate spar with firewall support would have worked for my 5 mile transport to MFR. Now that I am going to continue to build in my garage, I removed the transport floor stands and have the fuselage supported by the wooden landing gear on saw horses.

Jeff
 
Moved Fuselage Finally

Well I finally got around to moving the fuselage to the airport. The only trailer for rent locally was from a heavy equipment business, a 20 foot tilting trailer. I only had about one inch of clearance on each side between the tires and the fenders. Sorry about the large picture.

fuseleageOnTrailer.jpg
 
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