Stuart Grant
Active Member
First let me say that I haven't put the wings on my RV-12 kit yet, but I am now working on flight controls and it must be done soon. I had a one-man wing rigger for my glider that I used to install and remove 90-pound, 25-foot long glider wings many hundreds of times. With practice it was relatively easy to use on my own.
In theory, having a one-man rigger would allow you to remove your RV-12 wings for easier storage of the airplane and for transport. I have contacted MM Fabrications, a New Mexico company that fabricates riggers for gliders (see photo). They do not now have a rigger that would work for the RV-12 but may be willing to make one. The wing cradle height is adjustable and pivots so the wing can be rotated leading edge down to maneuver the wing around. There are many videos on YouTube showing how they are used.
Instead of a cradle it may be possible to use a padded clamp through the RV-12 wingtip handle. Glider wing riggers usually breakdown into smaller parts for compact storage - like in the trunk of a car or maybe the RV-12 baggage area.
Taking the wings off and storing them on a wing stand may be a way to get 2 or 3 RV-12's into a T-hangar. At one point in my life I used to layout how to position airliners at terminal gates and how Gulfstreams fit in box hangar designs, so once I find some T-hangar plans or dimensions I will see if 2 or 3 is possible.
Rian Johnson expressed interest is selling them through the Van's web store. Based on the price of glider wing riggers, my guess is that the cost would be at least $1,400.
Anybody interested?
Edited to include poll. Thanks Paul! and to show a quick study of what storage might be possible using extreme care and maybe wheel dolly/roller skates under gear wheels.
In theory, having a one-man rigger would allow you to remove your RV-12 wings for easier storage of the airplane and for transport. I have contacted MM Fabrications, a New Mexico company that fabricates riggers for gliders (see photo). They do not now have a rigger that would work for the RV-12 but may be willing to make one. The wing cradle height is adjustable and pivots so the wing can be rotated leading edge down to maneuver the wing around. There are many videos on YouTube showing how they are used.
Instead of a cradle it may be possible to use a padded clamp through the RV-12 wingtip handle. Glider wing riggers usually breakdown into smaller parts for compact storage - like in the trunk of a car or maybe the RV-12 baggage area.
Taking the wings off and storing them on a wing stand may be a way to get 2 or 3 RV-12's into a T-hangar. At one point in my life I used to layout how to position airliners at terminal gates and how Gulfstreams fit in box hangar designs, so once I find some T-hangar plans or dimensions I will see if 2 or 3 is possible.
Rian Johnson expressed interest is selling them through the Van's web store. Based on the price of glider wing riggers, my guess is that the cost would be at least $1,400.
Anybody interested?
Edited to include poll. Thanks Paul! and to show a quick study of what storage might be possible using extreme care and maybe wheel dolly/roller skates under gear wheels.
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