Ballasting the tail when installing the engine?

[claycookiemonster]

Taildragger 8. I don't know yet, but I'm assuming once the engine is installed, and assume in the worst case, that the wings and empenage are not installed, I'm going to have to strap the tail down.

A couple of cinder blocks on a ratchet strap around the tail?

 

[rv8ch]

Don't have a photo, but I built a little A-frame on wheels, strapped the tailwheel to it, and used a 20 liter jug of water to weigh down the tail. It kept the tail down, and lifted the tail up, both at the same time! It was helpful to keep the fuselage level when having to spend a lot of time in it. Forgot to mention, when I finally left it on the tail without the wings, I put a few gallon jugs of water back in the tail.

 

[PhatRV]

Taildragger 8. I don't know yet, but I'm assuming once the engine is installed, and assume in the worst case, that the wings and empenage are not installed, I'm going to have to strap the tail down.

A couple of cinder blocks on a ratchet strap around the tail?

Without the canopy, the tail, and wings, the fuselage + engine will be nose heavy. Even with the tail, you will still need ballasting because anything past horizontal, the nose will want to tip over !

I put about 30# of sand in the area aft of the battery location and that keeps the tail down somewhat more securely while allow the tail to move freely in a confined space (sand secured inside heavy duty bags of course). You should know by checking the balance of the fuse. I found out the nose was very tipsy after mounting the engine but I had some construction sand handy to keep structure stable.

 

[SuperCubDriver]

If you have some weightlifting equipment:

 

[claycookiemonster]

The creativity around here is endless. Thanks.

 

[wirejock]

Weights

Personally, I prefer weight with a chain. Lifting plates or just pour cement in a big bucket with a hunk of chain.
Buy a 500lb ratchet mini winch off Amazon. The winch ratchets in both directions.
Those strap type ratchets release all at once. Learned the hard way hoisting a 75" TV. Thankfully all that got damaged was my Sweetie's finger. She sacrificed a bruise to save the TV!