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Outdoor Storage

bill.hutchison

Well Known Member
I know, I know. Hangars are preferred, I get it.

Hangars are also hard to come by where I live. I'm closest to VKX and 2W5 - on the waiting list for a hangar at 2W5 but I'm pretty far down and there's a good chance I might acquire an airplane before then. VKX hangars go up for bid from time to time and ye Gods, they go for princely sums...

Anyway. This is more about outdoor storage....

I know companies like Bruce's make custom full covers for the airplane, and while I know a hangar is most preferred....do any of you store your airplanes outdoors on tiedowns? Besides covers, do you do anything else to preserve/protect the airplane?

Getting closer to full-bore shopping mode and want to understand what I might be able to do, given that my storage options will be more limited.

(EDIT - I may consider storage at HEF or JYO but those are pretty far down the desired list. I'm also part of a club at GAI and I really, really don't want to keep a plane there.)
 
Aside from researching how to protect it outside, which is a good thing to do, another option to think about is hangar sharing with a high wing plane. The RVs are pretty small compared with Standard category planes and if you can find a 172, 182, or a tall twin, your plane will fit underneath it.
 
Aside from researching how to protect it outside, which is a good thing to do, another option to think about is hangar sharing with a high wing plane. The RVs are pretty small compared with Standard category planes and if you can find a 172, 182, or a tall twin, your plane will fit underneath it.

I did this at JYO years ago - but there was a lot of noise that sharing a hangar violated the rules (as in if you want a hangar, rent one from the FBO). At the time the hangar wait list was several years - I left as I built a home and hangar at VA42. Perhaps JYO (and other FBOs) have evolved in their thinking.

As option, I think KRMN and KEZF have hangars.

Carl
 
I had to store my -9 outside for 3 months while waiting on a hangar. I invested in a full set of hail-resistant Bruces' covers, including the prop cover. Exxy, but I slept a lot better until I got a hangar spot.

The only other thing I did do was to get one of those cheap 12V solar battery chargers and leave it on the wing plugged in.
 
Talk to guys that do it

That thread above about keeping a plane outside is about an RV-8 that’s been outside for 10 months. Seth flies it often. Ask him by sending him a PM how things are holding up.
 
There's a few RVs in the shades at KFLG. Mine's been in a hangar while I did the panel change but it'll go back under a shade soon. It snows here in winter, which is a pain whether you are in a shade or a hangar. Really, a hangar is more comfortable for me; doesn't seem to affect the aircraft that much. Mine is unpainted but I've been observing the painted ones here, as well. I think they have less trouble because I ended up having to take steps to protect the unpainted fiberglass on my RV. Hangars provide no protection against birds or dust (you should have seen my wings after two years sitting in a hangar unflown), which seems to find their way in no matter what. Few hangars are climate controlled. Frankly, I like a hangar as a workshop but prefer a share otherwise.
 
My 6A was outside for almost 9 months, between Phase I and waiting on the hanger list. I have been afraid of liability issues, so have decided to give it to my son now that the 10 is flying and using the hanger. It will sit outside for several years, as he can't afford a hanger in Denver.

Getting a good quality and fitting cover is important. You need something like Sunbrella material that is strong and allows for moisture release. I am sure the heavier Bruce covers use Sunbrella or similar material; I made my own and it is very snug with no movement, even in a stiff breeze. You will also want to work on strategically placed silicone to minimize water intrusion. You will also need to ensure that you have adequate drain holes in the belly to release water that gets in. Tail draggers are better in this regard, as gravity will bring all of the water out the tail. Also, don't ever remove the tail tie down ring in an A model. A decent amount of snow or freezing rain will make the tail drop.

PM me if you want more details. We have an RV-4 on our field that has been outside for years. While the idea upsets many people, it is not a death sentence for your plane, IMO. RV's are built with metal similar or identical to the certified fleet and many of these planes are flying, corrosion-free after 50 years on the ramp. Buying a plane that has primer applied on the interior of the fuselage would be a plus in this case. A quick build fuse kit from Van's has such a primer applied at the factory.

Leaving the plane outside for several years will repel many potential buyers, however. Therefore, do not buy a premium plane at a premium price. You will likely lose value if you sell it. There are many planes out there in less than perfect cosmetic condition at budget prices. They are what I would be looking at if I intended long term outside storage.

Larry
 
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Options around here are pretty slim. The ebay/bidding at VXK just makes me cringe but the waiting lists elsewhere are extremely long. Sorry I don't have much advice for storing outdoors. It's harsh and not something I really want to do with my RV. Granted always a chance you can get a place if you play the bid game with Dave at VKX.

HEF, JYO, or going further outside the SFRA are options, granted very difficult options as the drive will suck :(
 
Going back to the original post, the question about storing outdoors....he already knows it is not ideal, but hey - if its the only way to own a plane, it is better than nothing! The all-time champion in this regard has to be Vlad - he regularly posted pictures of his 9A sitting outside in the northeast in all weather conditions - snow, sleet, gloom of night....and he’s logged like 6,000 hours with the plane all over the country (and overseas). So no one can say that it doesn’t work - you just have to accept the limitations on ease of maintenance and the like.

I always figured he did it because that is the way they did it in the Russian Air Force - “who needs hangar? Or runway even?!”

Go for the best canopy cover you can if you do it...

Paul
 
As Paul has stated go for the best coverings for the plane. What you save in hangar rent in a very few short years would pay for a new paint job for the plane.
 
I'm with Vlad on this one :) I've kept the RV-14A on a tie-down in Seattle since it was built 3 years ago. It's still unpainted (except for the fiberglass due to concerns about UV) and I honestly don't see the problem. All the flight school aircraft around here are tied down, some for 10-20 years and I can't tell the difference from the hangar-based ones. Admittedly the weather here is fairly benign; lots of rain but no hail or tornadoes and only occasional snow. A good canopy cover, cowl plugs and pitot cover pretty much seal it up.
IMG_0147.jpg
 
Options around here are pretty slim. The ebay/bidding at VXK just makes me cringe but the waiting lists elsewhere are extremely long. Sorry I don't have much advice for storing outdoors. It's harsh and not something I really want to do with my RV. Granted always a chance you can get a place if you play the bid game with Dave at VKX.

HEF, JYO, or going further outside the SFRA are options, granted very difficult options as the drive will suck :(

Ain't that the truth. The last hangar at VKX went for $700-ish. If it came with an apartment I might consider it. :)

2W5 has a waiting list I'm on, but I keep hearing rumors that they want to go "upmarket" and fill the place with Cirruses and high-end Beechcraft. We will see - my money is as green as anyone else's but I've been on it for a couple of months now and I'm "pretty far down the list." A guy I know with a Cirrus was on for 8 weeks, so we will see.

I teach at JYO so you'd think that would be good but hangar costs are *asinine* out there with waiting lists measured in years.

The plan right now is a tiedown at VKX while I'm waiting for a hangar at 2W5. I may have a line on a corp/shared hangar at ESN but that's an awful **** long way to drive from Alexandria.
 
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