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Move wings without flatbed trailer

DanFrazer

Member
My family is moving to a new home (with larger garage for airplane factory...ok, there's more reasons than just that) soon and I am looking for ideas on how to safely transport the wings. I’ve seen people use flatbed trailers and strap them down. I could do that, but I’ll already have a Uhaul and am trying to figure out a way to use that instead. I also just like the feeling of them being enclosed in a box truck better than strapped on for dear life on a flatbed trailer. Only issue is that there isn’t a great way to secure them to the floor in a Uhaul that I can think of. There are no points to strap them down.

I did some searching and I did see some posts about ways other than trailers, but the links for the pictures don’t work anymore. I thought of ways to secure the wing cradle. Remove the wheels maybe and then secure the cradle with straps but I am not sure how to keep the wings secure in the cradle.

I could maybe build something to hold them secure in the Uhaul. With that amount of effort I might as well rent a flatbed trailer and find a friend with a truck to pull it.

I think I can fit the empennage parts in my minivan no problem.

What good ideas do you have for moving the wings in a box truck?
 

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Build a stand if you feel then need it. I transported my wings from Oregon to Colorado, then to Idaho laying down on some foam mattress toppers. I would be way more concerned about other things in the trailer falling on them. Put plywood over the top to protect them.

Edit - I looked closer at your picture and you have a stand. Fasten the stand down inside your trailer and still protect it from other items or transport without other items.
 
Yea I’m about to have to move my finished wings into storage. Thinking about adding extra padding but keeping them in the cradle and putting it into an enclosed U-Haul. Of course I will be strapping the cradle with cargo straps so it won’t move.

YMMV
 
For years Vans would load QB wings into a U- haul for will-call pickups. Flap side down, tied to the wall, lots of blankets.
 
Took the wheels off the cradles and screwed them to the trailer floor. Packing blankets and pallet wrap made it from Virginia to Minnesota no problem.
 

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This way

Straps attached to the walls


I’ve used this method to move wings three different times. Hang the wings on the walls with cargo straps and put plenty of padding between the wings and the walls. I place a thin sheet of foam rubber between the wing leading edge and the straps to protect the skin and also ran a strap horizontally to keep the wing from moving.
 
Hauling wings

I hauled mine flat on moving blankets with more blankets in-between and on top. I'm not a fan of hauling something heavy and fragile vertically with all the forces focused on the cradle area. One big hit could ruin both wings. Hanging would be another similar method.
 
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Dan

I’ve shifted a few sets of wings. Normally I place them on carpet on the leading edge then strap them so they won’t move vertically

Good luck with your move.

Peter
 
When Van's loaded my QB wings, they were set LEADING edge down on MANY shipping blanket stacks and strapped to the side rails inside the U-haul with blankets draped over the trailing edge between the wall..... 800 miles, no problem.
 
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