Van's Air Force
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Moving a fuselage
- Thread starter PeteP
- Start date
I made a 48" x 60" Plywood and 2x4 platform. Set the fuselage on and strap it down. I installed 8 castors on the bottom, four of them on the front and four on the rear. one on each corner and two more ~ 1' out on each side of the centerline both front and rear.
The four castors in the center ride up the ramp (~2' wide ) of a Uhaul truck. The 48" width fits between the truck wheel wells. The castors on the corners keep every thing stable in the shop, the center castors keep it stable on the Uhaul ramp.
Add two 2x4s screwed firmly on each side of the platform and extend them out in front of the aircraft nose. This keeps the AC nose from hitting the front of the truck.
Load the aircraft on the platform, up the ramp and keep it balanced, the two center wheels make this fairly easy. Roll it to the front of the truck and strap it tightly forward, so it cannot roll.
By the way, a set of wings on a cart with the same eight castor layout will fit into the same Uhaul truck.
The four castors in the center ride up the ramp (~2' wide ) of a Uhaul truck. The 48" width fits between the truck wheel wells. The castors on the corners keep every thing stable in the shop, the center castors keep it stable on the Uhaul ramp.
Add two 2x4s screwed firmly on each side of the platform and extend them out in front of the aircraft nose. This keeps the AC nose from hitting the front of the truck.
Load the aircraft on the platform, up the ramp and keep it balanced, the two center wheels make this fairly easy. Roll it to the front of the truck and strap it tightly forward, so it cannot roll.
By the way, a set of wings on a cart with the same eight castor layout will fit into the same Uhaul truck.
I have only made short moves. 20 -50 miles each. But the distance does not seem to matter too much, once loaded and packed.
I used the large Uhaul 24' enclosed truck. I never wanted to deal with 60mph gusts over the parts. The fuselage is ~4' x 16" and the wings are ~3' x 12'.
The critical truck dimension is not the volume, but the location of the rear wheel wells. I place the fuselage in the right front corner of the box. The 24" truck has room to roll between the wheel wells and then to the side wall in front of the wheel wells. Strap down everything in all directions, NO movement at all, tight to the front and side of the truck. . I use ratcheting straps with eye bolts on the carts. NOTE: the ride is very rough! The truck is designed for many tons of load. A RV project is less than 1000 lbs. The ride is very rough.
I plan on stopping after 1-2 miles to re-check tightness. The worst move was when I first tried to move it on the landing gear. It was very difficult to secure everything with no movement.
This has worked for me.
I used the large Uhaul 24' enclosed truck. I never wanted to deal with 60mph gusts over the parts. The fuselage is ~4' x 16" and the wings are ~3' x 12'.
The critical truck dimension is not the volume, but the location of the rear wheel wells. I place the fuselage in the right front corner of the box. The 24" truck has room to roll between the wheel wells and then to the side wall in front of the wheel wells. Strap down everything in all directions, NO movement at all, tight to the front and side of the truck. . I use ratcheting straps with eye bolts on the carts. NOTE: the ride is very rough! The truck is designed for many tons of load. A RV project is less than 1000 lbs. The ride is very rough.
I plan on stopping after 1-2 miles to re-check tightness. The worst move was when I first tried to move it on the landing gear. It was very difficult to secure everything with no movement.
This has worked for me.
