Wood Tailwheel Lift ver. 2.0

Sam Buchanan · #1 02-02-2018, 12:37 PM

Refined the wood tailwheel lift to make it easier to roll the aircraft's tailwheel into position. The bottom of the dolly was originally wood but it's been replaced with steel angle and plate which sits at floor level. It's amazing how well such a simple device works.

alpinelakespilot2000 · #2 02-02-2018, 12:52 PM

Good upgrade, Sam! As I usually do--with alternators, ADS-B installations, and I'm sure a number of other things--I'll be following in your footsteps in my first free weekend! Thanks for being a trailblazer!
Steve

Taltruda · #3 02-02-2018, 07:19 PM

Wow, these things are becoming works of art! Next is brass and stainless.. I saw one where they put a pulley on top and moved the winch to the back to give a little more clearance to the rudder, but this one is pretty!

-goose · #4 02-03-2018, 05:50 AM

This seems lke a really naive question, but do you need to lift the tail often? I'm sure all will become clear once I switch from builder to operator...

Mark Dickens · #5 02-03-2018, 06:00 AM

I understand why you're asking. When you're building, the tail isn't heavy and there's no reason to do maintenance, but when you're done, that tail will weigh a lot more and you'll need to get it off the floor for tail wheel maintenance, leveling the plane for oil changes and other reasons, etc. Trying to pick up the tail with one hand while you slip a support under it, can be stressful for your back and shoulders, especially if you're getting older as some of us are!

BillL · #6 02-03-2018, 06:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -goose

This seems lke a really naive question, but do you need to lift the tail often? I'm sure all will become clear once I switch from builder to operator...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Dickens

I understand why you're asking. When you're building, the tail isn't heavy and there's no reason to do maintenance, but when you're done, that tail will weigh a lot more and you'll need to get it off the floor for tail wheel maintenance, leveling the plane for oil changes and other reasons, etc. Trying to pick up the tail with one hand while you slip a support under it, can be stressful for your back and shoulders, especially if you're getting older as some of us are!

To add a little to Marks [spot on] comment, the rudder is in the way of getting over the top to pick it up straight. My TW is around 60 lb at flight attitude, but 90 lb on the ground. During calibration phase, you will need to check fuel up and down, and do fuel flow testing the same, and some EFIS require flight attitude for calibration as well. It has been a lot of ups and downs for me.

Great prototype 2.0 Sam, I have all the steel, wheels, and winch sitting for a Tail-Mate ready to drill and weld, but thinking hard about a wood prototype now.

I have an old Snapper that is going to get duty as a tug too.

alpinelakespilot2000 · #7 02-05-2018, 09:32 PM

Design shamelessly stolen from Sam with the addition of a $3 Harbor Freight pulley on the top to allow the winch to be on the back. Fun weekend project. Thanks Sam!

Sam Buchanan · #8 02-05-2018, 11:09 PM

Excellent!

alpinelakespilot2000 · #9 02-07-2018, 11:52 AM

Just a couple additional comments for anyone who may build one using a pulley...

1. The higher you can get the pulley the better. If you look closely at my picture, the angle of the cable just slightly rubs against the wood front and back. Not a big deal, but not perfect.

2. More importantly, the angle of the cable where it attaches to the tailwheelwheel tray/lift is a bit extreme, sometimes causing the wood-on-wood sliding assembly to bind. I'm going to relocate the attach bolt closer to the frame so that the cable pulls the assembly straighter up.

Sam Buchanan · #10 02-07-2018, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alpinelakespilot2000

Just a couple additional comments for anyone who may build one using a pulley...

1. The higher you can get the pulley the better. If you look closely at my picture, the angle of the cable just slightly rubs against the wood front and back. Not a big deal, but not perfect.

2. More importantly, the angle of the cable where it attaches to the tailwheelwheel tray/lift is a bit extreme, sometimes causing the wood-on-wood sliding assembly to bind. I'm going to relocate the attach bolt closer to the frame so that the cable pulls the assembly straighter up.

A couple of observations:

With the winch located where it is on my lift there are no problems with cable or slide binding, the cable remains parallel to the ramp at all times. The tail of the RV-6 can still be lifted up past horizontal.

Not having a pulley also reduces flying weight.