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Best way to lift a tailwheel

jdeas

jdeas

Well Known Member
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.
 
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......
 
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
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.


DSCN0921.jpg


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Dave
RV-6
Waiting for calmer winds
to resume Phase I flights
 
Same thought

dsvajda said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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.
 
jdeas said:
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.
Click to expand...

A follow-up on this...since this is to install the wheelpants and gear leg fairings, the aircraft needs to be in level flight position. What's the procedure used to get to this attitude? It's one thing to jack up the front of the plane this way, but there is the added complication of getting the plane longitudinally level (and keeping it that way during installation)...

I'll be the guy helping with this, so I'm following this thread with a keen eye towards *not* doing something that creates an unstable (and possibly even dangerous) situation.

(As an aside, this is one time I get to tell my taildragger friend he should have built an -A model :) since it was considerably easier with my -7A LOL!)
Steve
 
Dual wing jacks it is

I'm still thinking 3-point jack. Tail on stand and two wing jacks (with locking rings) on the firewall via 4x4. Given the distance of the jacking points this is about as stable as I think you can get without the wings on the plane.

Flying Scotsman said:
(As an aside, this is one time I get to tell my taildragger friend he should have built an -A model :) since it was considerably easier with my -7A LOL!)
Steve
Click to expand...

Small price to pay for a plane that looks as good standing still as in flight:p
 
Lifting RV

Two weeks ago my wife and I put axles, wheels, brakes (and shims) on out -8. Without tail and wings the airplane is nose heavy, so tail was strapped/weighted down while lifting the front with an engine hoist and towing strap around the engine mount. This was well-controlled and very easy to do. Tail wheel went on fine after cleaning a bit of corrosion from the 9 year build (so far). N9669D (from our anniversary) is now at EAA Chapter 1158's beautiful hanger - exciting. Good luck with your installation.
 
Another Way

I'm just getting started on my wheel pants and needed to get the weight off the gear. I didn't like the idea of jacking against the firewall flange, so I came up with a way to jack against the engine mount.

IMG_0774.JPG


I inserted a 1/2" socket extension through the hole in the top of the Harbor Freight Jack and then wrapped a piece of MIL6000 hose around the socket extension. I placed this under the fork at the top of the gear leg mount tube.

IMG_0776.JPG


Here's a shot looking up from below:

IMG_0777.JPG


The only disadvantage to this approach is that the cowling can't be installed, so it can't be used to install the upper intersection fairings. It will work great however for installing the wheel pants, gear leg fairings and lower intersection fairings.
 
Use the spar?

I built an accurately level sawhorse and placed it under the spar carrythrough. In this position the nose will be heavy so a lift on the nosewheel or (for this thread) a weight at the tail is required to get the craft longitudinally level. Since I could, I used a small car jack under the nosewheel pivot nut.

18704302174e3611b2dea61.jpg
 
Sorry no pics, but for my 7 I raised the tail onto a table with blocks and slung tire chains over the tailwheel for wieght. I then built a saw horse to go inbetween the fuel vents under the firewall that was an inch or two short of touching the belly. The legs of the sawhorse look like the typical A, and I put a bottle jack under the horizontal part of the A. It made it easier to lift/level with the 2 jacks and then shim under the sawhorse legs to hold it.
 
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