Hanging Engine

[flyinga]

I'm at the point in my RV8 project where I'm running wires/cables/tubing/etc. I have the fus on a dolly and the wings are basically done but not yet attached. I would like to hang the engine on the fus while it is still on the dolly and not on the gear. I realize I will have to support the engine to keep the project from litterally falling on it's nose but I'd like to keep it off the gear for now for easier access. What are the pros and cons of this? Thanks,

[Dave_Boxall]

There's a lot of work forward of the firewall. The longer you put it off hanging the engine later you'll finish the 'plane.

Dave

[D-Dubya]

It may be a bit extreme, but here's something I did to protect the wings during interior work as well as make cockpit access easier during construction. I took some plywood and 2x4s from another project and made a platform that straddled the wing and the gear. Kind of like a scaffold...kind of.

The top surface was about 2' wide and maybe 5' long, and was just below the level of the longerons. There were some 2x4 ladder rungs at the aft end so we could climb up to the cockpit, into which you could then step down to. It had a few plywood gussets between the top and the legs for stiffness, as well as two outrigger legs for stability. It was strong enough for two men to stand on without fear of collapse or toppling over. Yes, we tested that--far away from the plane . When it needed to be moved, two people could pick it up and walk it out toward the wing tip and out of the way.

The engineer in me tends to make things more complicated than they need to be, but it really did come in handy as both an access platform and a place to set tools while working in the cockpit. The top had a lip of shoe molding to prevent screwdrivers and stuff from rolling off onto the wing.

The benefit is that you can jack the tail up where the plane is level, which makes cockpit work much easier. And it keeps you off the flaps and gear. I think that may be part of what you're driving at.

It took me the better part of an afternoon to measure up what I needed and to cut & assemble the pieces. It may not be for everyone, but it served its purpose for us, and wasn't difficult or expensive to build.

[Noah]

Originally Posted by flyinga

I'm at the point in my RV8 project where I'm running wires/cables/tubing/etc. I have the fus on a dolly and the wings are basically done but not yet attached. I would like to hang the engine on the fus while it is still on the dolly and not on the gear. I realize I will have to support the engine to keep the project from litterally falling on it's nose but I'd like to keep it off the gear for now for easier access. What are the pros and cons of this? Thanks,

My shop is narrow, and the fuse will not fit in there with the gear on. The shop is cozy and well heated, and pretty economical to heat. I had always planned to move to the much larger garage to install the gear and hang the engine, but that would mean parking outside in the snowy winter and having to heat the much larger (and uninsulated garage). So I found myself in the very same predicament as you - I wanted to hang the engine to keep making progress, but I couldn't put the gear on.

So here's my solution (RV-7A):
1. Put a cloth covered 4x4 wood beam under the fuse at the spar, and support the beam with jackstands (I also made dollies for the jackstands so the project can be wheeled into the garage when spring comes
2. Hang 60 Lb off the tail eyebolt (the one there for tiedown)
3. Chain the tail to my woodstove so there ain't no way the thing is coming down on its nose
4. I did not install the nosegear, since it just gets in the way when fitting the lower cowl.

Lest anyone thinks this loading condition might damage the airframe, this is similar to but less loading than would occur during a wheel landing.

Works great so far. When spring comes, I'll just open my 5' sliding door separating my shop from the garage, wheel the fuse around the corner into the garage, lift it by the engine, install the gear, and be home free!

[rjcthree]

Noah, how high off the ground is the bottom of your fuse? Rick 90432

[Noah]

25 inches with jackstands and dollies. I can lower it by removing the dollies if need be, which I may do when it comes time to wire it. I neglected to mention that the tail also sits on a fabric covered sawhorse with one of the bulkheads sitting over the horse.