I need to move a damaged RV6A by truck 1400 miles. The wings will need to be removed to facilitate the move. Does the engine need to come off as well? How does the gear support the aircraft when the wings are removed? What would I need to do to prevent further damage? Any help here would be appreciated as I'm clueless at this point and don't need any more problems. Thanks
Van's Air Force
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Need advice on plane move
- Thread starter Jrskygod
- Start date
pierre smith
Well Known Member
Nope.
You cannot remove the wings while it sits on the gear because the wing spars and gear share the same bolts and the gear would collapse and do more damage if you tried that.
Sit the airplane on saw horses with the wheels not touching the ground, remove all the wing bolts and slide the wings out. You then need a false spar if you want to have it on the gear. The false spar occupies the area where the wing spar used to be and the bolts that hold the gear towers in place can be tightened enough to support the airplane's weight. The false spar is a little thicker than a 2 X 8" and you can add a thin plywood shim to equal the wing spar's thickness.
Best,
You cannot remove the wings while it sits on the gear because the wing spars and gear share the same bolts and the gear would collapse and do more damage if you tried that.
Sit the airplane on saw horses with the wheels not touching the ground, remove all the wing bolts and slide the wings out. You then need a false spar if you want to have it on the gear. The false spar occupies the area where the wing spar used to be and the bolts that hold the gear towers in place can be tightened enough to support the airplane's weight. The false spar is a little thicker than a 2 X 8" and you can add a thin plywood shim to equal the wing spar's thickness.
Best,
Ok I get it now. I can lift the plane to remove the weight from the gear via the engine mount with engine attached, unbolt the wings, drain fuel and various other necessary items and pull the wings. Then insert false spar shim as required, mark holes, remove and drill for temporary bolts. Install false spar and temporary bolts and set back down on gear. Did I miss anything important? Sounds straight forward now. Thanks
The spar is 1.20 inches thick ....
The opening in the sides of the fuselage that it slips into is a little wider, call it 1.23 inches. Just take a 4 foot 2x8 to a wood shop and plane it to 1.20. You'll have it perfect. You will cut it in half and slide each half in until they butt up. There is a slight dihedral angle in the middle but for your purposes you don't care about that. Just butt them up so they are flush on the floor and mark the available holes to drill. Thats what I'd do.
The opening in the sides of the fuselage that it slips into is a little wider, call it 1.23 inches. Just take a 4 foot 2x8 to a wood shop and plane it to 1.20. You'll have it perfect. You will cut it in half and slide each half in until they butt up. There is a slight dihedral angle in the middle but for your purposes you don't care about that. Just butt them up so they are flush on the floor and mark the available holes to drill. Thats what I'd do.
pierre smith
Well Known Member
Yep
You got it Ted. The wood false spar keeps you from crushing the spar box once the wings are removed. Only tighten the gear box bolts tight enough and don't go really cranking them down and collapse the spar box and wood insert. Remember, the wing spars have to go back in there once you get home. You don't need all of the bolts in either....three on top and three on the bottom at the outer ends should be enough to support the weight. There are 33 bolts holding the wings on!!...on each wing. Watch where the spar splice plates attach in the center as well.
The -7's and later models have shorter spars and the gear boxes don't share those bolts, so on them, you can take the wings off while they're on the gear.
Best,
You got it Ted. The wood false spar keeps you from crushing the spar box once the wings are removed. Only tighten the gear box bolts tight enough and don't go really cranking them down and collapse the spar box and wood insert. Remember, the wing spars have to go back in there once you get home. You don't need all of the bolts in either....three on top and three on the bottom at the outer ends should be enough to support the weight. There are 33 bolts holding the wings on!!...on each wing. Watch where the spar splice plates attach in the center as well.
The -7's and later models have shorter spars and the gear boxes don't share those bolts, so on them, you can take the wings off while they're on the gear.
Best,
The spar is 1.20 unless my caliper is out of adjustment.. My wings are sitting on my wing stand so it was easy to check.
longranger
Well Known Member
Tip:
Those four steel splice plates that hold the spars together in the middle of the center section bulkhead most likely are not absolutely identical to each other, so you'll want to make sure you mark them for replacement in their respective original positions and orientations.
Those four steel splice plates that hold the spars together in the middle of the center section bulkhead most likely are not absolutely identical to each other, so you'll want to make sure you mark them for replacement in their respective original positions and orientations.
False Spars
I have a set of these that I used prior to putting the wings on. The holes are drilled to facilitate the landing gear mounts and the center coupler. They extend out of the fuselage enough to be used as handles.
I have pictures too....
recapen(at)earthlink(dot)net
I have a set of these that I used prior to putting the wings on. The holes are drilled to facilitate the landing gear mounts and the center coupler. They extend out of the fuselage enough to be used as handles.
I have pictures too....
recapen(at)earthlink(dot)net
These should be already marked. They had to be marked by the factory to facilitate the original assembly.
I now need the dimension of the main gear from outside of main wheel to outside of main wheel. I am so appreciative of everyone's response. I now have my false spar fabricated and ready to go, just need to find out if it will fit inside truck. Thanks Guys - you rock!!!
You can shorten the spread....
Take off the wheel fairings. The plans call for 85 1/2 inch spread between the outer edges of the two landing gear legs. The axle nuts can add a couple more inches. Also builder accuracy when setting the gear weldments in the right position can change that distance, but not by much. It will fit in an 8 ft trailer. Having the wings off should lighten the spread on the axles a little and, being flexible parts, you could squeeze them a little closer with some straps when you tie it down, if necessary. YMMV.
Take off the wheel fairings. The plans call for 85 1/2 inch spread between the outer edges of the two landing gear legs. The axle nuts can add a couple more inches. Also builder accuracy when setting the gear weldments in the right position can change that distance, but not by much. It will fit in an 8 ft trailer. Having the wings off should lighten the spread on the axles a little and, being flexible parts, you could squeeze them a little closer with some straps when you tie it down, if necessary. YMMV.
Thank you all for your help and advise. The plane is now disassembled and ready to move. Those spar bolts were a real SOB especially the bottom corner ones at each fuselage side. Removing all those spar bolts took close to 8 hours to do and used almost all of the tools in the tool box and every cuss word I had. The wood false spars worked perfectly and temporarily bolting it back up for travel was easy. I sure don't look forward to the reassembly tho!!
