SnF disaster, which is the "best" Tiedown?

[Walt]

All this carnage witnessed and SnF has me a bit concerned now so I'm researching which is really the best tie down? I currently have a fly-ties but thinking I may need something better. With OshKosh right around the corner I am wondering is there a better tie down than what I currently own? I saw the "Storm Force" and am considering purchasing it. Any thoughts?

[Buggsy2]

Just speculating--The Claw or the Storm Force seem superior to the screw-in anchors. Also consider some sort of lift-destroying plank or bar you can attach to the top wing surface. Aviation Consumer did a review of tiedowns but you probably need a subscription to read the full article. At that time (June 2009) The Claw came out best.

But, unless your aircraft neighbors use the same, their loose aircraft can still damage yours. And in a storm like at SnF, would any temporary anchor really hold?

[Kyle Boatright]

Interesting that they tested their product at the "recommended 45 degree angle" and tested the others in a vertical application.

That alone makes it difficult to view this as an apples to apples comparison.

If they would go back and run the same test (the 45 degree test) on all the products in the comparison, that would tell us something.

[Brantel]

I agree they must think we are stupid with that video. Test em all the same way!!!!

[apkp777]

We used the "claw". It held very well. RV's faired very well in general. Most of the damaged planes were high wings. The problem with Sun and Fun, it that the soil is VERY sandy. I suspect many designs would fail in those conditions.

[LifeofReiley]

Tony,

You are SPOT on here, sand is definitely the worst! And... any tiedown can fail! Many times it's due to not using them/installing them properly... but tornados and straight line winds are hard to defend against.

Originally Posted by apkp777

We used the "claw". It held very well. RV's faired very well in general. Most of the damaged planes were high wings. The problem with Sun and Fun, it that the soil is VERY sandy. I suspect many designs would fail in those conditions.

[vfrazier]

I have NO experience with this technique, so I'll let others confirm or flame it.

My dad tells me that when they tied their Cubs, Pawnees, etc. down in west Texas (known for high winds and t-storms) that they tied them pointed into the expected wind AND left the tail untied. The idea was that the tail would lift as needed so that the rest of the plane stayed put.

Obviously, this would allow the tail to bounce around, but when you've got a supercell heading your way and no hangars nearby, maybe it's a better choice than a flipped plane.

[David Paule]

You can make your own tie-downs. Heck, you built the plane, this is easy.

I use two crossed stakes at each tie-down point. They go through an aluminum block that has a hole for the tie-down rope. The stakes are about 18" long but longer is better.

You can buy titanium rod, not cheap, but the best stake material available. McMaster sells it. Their 89145K353 is 3/8" diameter, three feet long. Cut it in half and you've got stakes for one wing - if you want longer, buy their 6' length and make three from that. You'll need to sharpen one end and put an eye or a cross-arm at the top end to give you something to pull it out with. Remember that you need to pound on the top end.

Mine are 1/2" diameter and I think that's overkill.

For ropes, please, please, don't use nylon. It's too stretchy. Use polyester or go to the Defender.com or the West Marine sites and order some rope with a hi-tech core like Dyneema, Vectran or Technora in a polyester cover. They have much less stretch than even the polyester ropes. Here's a good example:
http://tinyurl.com/4xm8r7u

This stuff has a strength of 7,800 pounds for the 5/16" size and has excellent durability.

If you're browsing you might need to search for competition marine ropes rather than recreational marine.

Double the ropes and make certain that they are tight. What I do is tie one wing tight, then the other wing, pulling it tight too. Then go to the tail (I have a taildragger) and pull the plane backwards until it creaks a bit. Then tie the tail there. Tightly.

The reason for doubling the ropes is to reduce stretch. The last thing you want is the plane moving around.

1/2" diameter ropes are fine for polyester. If you use the marine ropes I mentioned, you can drop down considerably, and I'd think that 5/16" or even 1/4" diameter would be plenty safe.

If I think there's going to be a strong wind, I will probably tie a rope from the tie-down anchors under the wings to the nearest wheels - easier to do on my Skywagon than on an RV with wheel and strut fairings.

[woodmanrog]

We tied down originally with screw type tiedowns and literally ran to purchase the CLAW when the winds picked up on Wednesday. Our plane didn't move in the high winds overnight. If you look at the aftermath photos, you will see many planes still anchored to the ground with the claw. It looks like other structural failure but the claw still held. They were easy to put in the ground and easy to remove and store in the included nylon bag. Although they weigh 8 lbs, I will not go to any grass field without them from now on. We bailed out of S&F 20 minutes before the tornado hit. Whew!!!!
Woodman

[RV8iator]

I did see at least 3 separate CLAW tie down devices that had broken just outside the center hinge point.

Granted that the winds were excessive, but to have 3 of the same failures told me I personally didn't want to trust my plane to those.

I have chain tiedowns like the ones shown earlier in the post about Danny Kight's 6. I use 12 inch timber nails angled toward the center and make sure to space the chain ends 120 degrees apart. My plane was on the end of row 10 at Sun n Fun. I was 3 planes north of Stripe's 7A and Mutha's 8 and 1 row west of Pooners and Sleepy's tangle so I know they were put to the test.

Also, most of us with our tails pointed west strapped the stick forward to keep pressure on the tail and I'm sure that helped. I know you can't be sure which way the wind will eventually come from, but I knew the brunt of the weather was moving east rapidly.

And, I'm sure the man upstairs and luck was on my side.

I'm not saying one is better than the other, but I'll keep my system over the CLAW.