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Member
any one have a idea how to add tie down rings? Did not have any tie down rings when I bought the plane
Thanks
Frank
 
Unless the builder left out the tie-down mount in the wings, you just buy a tie-down ring and screw it in!

Look for a small threaded hole not too far outboard of the pitot tube.:cool:

You can thread a short bolt in the hole and use it as a jack point, as well. Taildragger will tip over forward when jacked in this manner, so hold the tail down.
 
PCHunt said:
...Taildragger will tip over forward when jacked in this manner, so hold the tail down.
Click to expand...
Good answer, but I am curious about the taildragger remark. Have you had a bad experience?

I have been jacking my RV-6 up by those tie-down mounts for the last 11 years with no issues and without holding the tail down.
 
n5lp said:
Good answer, but I am curious about the taildragger remark. Have you had a bad experience?

I have been jacking my RV-6 up by those tie-down mounts for the last 11 years with no issues and without holding the tail down.
Click to expand...

I suppose if the CG is far enough aft, the tail would stay down. Mine needs additional weight on the tail. Next time you jack your taildragger, lift the tail up to see how heavy (or light) it is.
 
The RV-8 will tip forward when jacked from the wing hard points. I had to put a couple of sand bags on the HS to keep things steady. Remember also that if you are going to be working inside the cockpit (Checking gear leg bolts) that as you worm yourself under the instrument panel, the weight is moving forward, so you might want to add an extra bag of sand just to be safe... you have a high $$$ see-saw on your hands.
 
Oh Yeah

you have a high $$$ see-saw on your hands.

One of the shops at KPTK just took in a Mooney that suffered a wing-jack accident. Seems someone attempted to use the tail ring fastened to a tie down loop screwed into the asphalt. The recent hi temperatures rendered the asphalt so soft that the tie-down pulled loose, the plane pitched hard forward, striking the spinner and bending the prop (no word on the engine, yet). The hard impact caused the plane to jump off the jacks, which managed to find some of the gear mechanism after they punctured both bottom wind skins and before they speared the fuel tanks. The only thing lacking was a sportscaster asking the mechanic ... "what was going through your mind when..." Next time my RV goes on the jacks, I'm going to move more slowly and cautiously.
Terry, CFI
RV-9A N323TP
 
My RV-9 will absolutely tip on its nose when jacking from the tie-downs. I had to strap a 30lb weight to the tail wheel to prevent it.

Without measuring they must be just aft of my CG by a few inches or so I'd guess.
 
What about attaching a support i.e. a wooden leg, under the fuselage or engine mount forward of the CG, once you finish jacking the aircraft . That should decrease the risk of the nose accidently ending up on the ground......... I recently used a length of wood propped under the engine when I had to jack my RV7 fuse off its wheels and lift the tail to make the lonergons level for fitting and drilling of the gear fairings and wheel pants.

Andrew Butler,
RV7 EI-EEO
Galway, Ireland.
Getting ready to paint..........next month.
 
Just after I quit JAC to start my own FBO, they did a runway project. Three different turbines tried to "land" in the strip between the runway & taxiway. The first was a netjet Hawker carrying Sandra Bullock. The second was one of the FBO owners in his 441. The third was a B200. The boys had the B200 in the corner on jacks with engines/props stripped off when the owner showed up to retreive something from the cabin. Without asking, he dropped the stairs, climbed in the airplane & knocked it off the jacks. It went backwards and slammed the tailfeathers into the walls of the corner. Oops. One of my customers wanted an Avion panel in his 175 TD. I was too busy, so he went to the avionics place in CPR. After taking 3 yrs to do his panel they decided it needed reweighing. For some reason instead of weighing on the wheels, they used padded boards & jacked it on the spars to weigh it. It slipped & punched through both wings. Oops. An airplane on jacks can be a scary thing, you betcha. Fall baby fall.
 
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