How high is your tail?

[flion]

Serious question. On level ground how high is the tail tie-down on a RV-10? I'm planning a tail-stand which, while it will be adjustable, needs a ballpark figure to build. It'll be used when the fuselage is on the gear but before the engine is mounted.

 

[pierre smith]

Hi Patrick

Mine is 37 1/2" to the center of the tiedown eye.

Best,

 

[flion]

Thanks, Pierre. Love this forum: ask a question, get an answer.

 

[pierre smith]

Yep..

Bear in mind that I have an engine that compresses the nosewheel and the rubber suspension, raising the tail somewhat.

If you could build the tailstand with a threaded rod center that's adjustable, you'd be better off. Simply weld a big nut horizontally to the top of the tube.

Best,

 

[azcloudflyer]

I don't have a picture handy of just the tail stand but here it is in action. It is a harbor freight tall jack stand with the legs shortened and a fitting added to the top to grab the tail tie down ring.

 

[flion]

Thanks, guys. I'm actually going the other way. Rather than holding the tail up, I'm building something to hold it down. My friend with the PropJet has a cut-off steel drum on casters that is filled with cement and has a chain on a short post that connects to his tail tie-down plus lugs on either side to secure a strap over the tail as a backup. He uses it to keep the aircraft in level attitude when he jacks the plane up to do a gear retraction test. Granted, I don't have retractable gear but I like the idea of a portable tie-down and it can double as a stand by replacing the chain with a pad. I think I can also use it up front to keep the plane level until I have an engine on the mount. Now that I have N14MX on its gear I have verified the tail height; sawhorses are doing the duty right now but I don't want to be working in the fuselage and find that I've caused a sawhorse to dent the bottom of the tailcone, even with padding.