rockwoodrv9

rockwoodrv9

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I am preparing to move my 9A from Colorado to Idaho. It is on the gear and the engine is bolted on. I am considering removing the gear to make transportation easier. Taking the gear off before the engine was bolted on was easy. Now I am not sure if I should take the engine off, then the gear or just lift the plane with my engine hoist high enough to take the 3 legs off.

I haven't installed much of the FWF, just hung the engine. It wasn't a pain hanging the engine, but it is like I am loosing ground taking it off. Also, then I have to figure out how to protect the engine while transporting. Maybe keep the engine on the mount and take the mount off?

As I write this, I am leaning to just modify my trailer to fit the plane leaving the gear off. With a little welding and cutting, I can modify the trailer.

Any thoughts?
 
Lifting & shipping plane

If you do decide to lift the whole fuselage/engine, do NOT use the engine lift points. Instead, use the engine mount to lift using straps or heavy rope. Otherwise, engine case damage might occur.

A bed for the fuselage might be constructed using something like a heavily padded parts box on rollers that could be firmly attached to your trailer bed. Lag bolts/eye bolts can be handy to attach to a wooden trailer bed.
 
Thanks Vern. I did bring the fuselage and wings from Portland to Colorado last year, but the engine or gear were not on. It was easy and worked out great. Wings on the bottom, built up a floor and slid the fuselage on top. Maybe I am better just taking the gear off. Thanks for the tip on not using the engine lift spot. I was going to use a strap to the mount, but thanks for making sure I don't make a dumb mistake. I have been known to before!
 
If you could fab up some big casters that would bolt where the 3 gear mount, that would be best. I've done that with a -10 several times and it worked great. Those are the points it's strongest at, also the spar center sections.

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Great Idea

Jesse, that's a great idea. I like the wheels you have at the wing spar. Lots easier to work on lower than with the gear on. I think I will take it off the gear so when I am working on the panel, I don't have to use a ladder to get in!
 
These are just scaffolding casters. They work really well for moving it around the shop too. Well worth the trouble, I think. On the 2-seat RV's, the part that bolts in will need to be nested between the center sections inside the fuse, but a piece of square stock and an extension welded on and then the round stock for the caster to ride in should work well. As I mentioned, I've hauled several RV's in a trailer with this setup.
 
Take the Engine Off

I remove the engine for even the short (15 mile) trip to the airport. Engine off/on is not a difficult or time consuming task, and the gear serves as rollers which can also be easily removed if the trailer requires such. The whole task is so much easier with the engine on its pallet. Three guys can easily manhandle the complete fuse sans drive train.

The undamped 400 lb mass of engine can cause really bad damage. No matter how tight you think the fuse is strapped down, there is still some movement, excited by the shaking, vibrating trailer. Last thing you want is a resonance coupling. Your airframe's going to experience a lot of pounding over 700 miles.

John Siebold
Boise, ID
 
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Hey John,
I am taking the engine off and the gear off. The structure of my trailer just didn't work for leaving it on the gear. I got it up on the trailer, but the front wheel still was not in far enough to rest on the trailer. Getting it down was interesting with just my wife and I wrestling it!

I was going to leave the engine on, but I am going to take the engine and mount off together. It will make it easy to brace while I am traveling. I should have it all packed tomorrow and head out Wed.

I am going to build the castors like Jesse has when I get to a hangar. Much easier to work on the panel when the fuselage is not on it's gear.

Maybe see you later in the week or next week.
 
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