Transporting a jab

[Russ]

loading a jab onto trailer with wings off..............taking wings off, then later, refitting them........easily doable ?? The actual removal / refitting etc.

 

Mulling over the idea of towing behind as we go walk about.

 

 

[facthunter]

I wouldn't do it. (towing behind) unless required over a short distance for recovery purposes. Nev

 

Later edit. I took the intent of the question as relating to the plane being towed on it's wheels. While that sounds a bit silly the Pou du Ciel (Flying Flea) was driven and towed on roads sometimes, to and from Airports. early thirties. Nev

 

 

[Deskpilot]

On a trailer perhaps, but let the undercarriage do it's job re bouncing. Don't tie the fuselage down.

 

 

[Russ]

Trailering ......duel axles, etc etc, right springs, the ride is really good.

 

I'm more chasing info about pulling wings off and on.

 

 

[deadstick]

Wings off and on isn't a big job, however you need the help of another person at least preferably two others. I have transported a few always on a car trailer and with the wings stacked under the fuselage. Longest trip was 700km without an issue however all it would take is a rock etc to Damage it. One consideration is do you have someone to act as an indipendent inspector once you refit the wings? Definitely a requirement, if you will be wings on and off all the time.

 

 

[Russ]

Wife..............

 

 

[Jaba-who]

Other consideration is insurance.

 

Usual aircraft insurance does not cover while on trailers in traffic. Usually can get a covernote for single road trips for reasonable cost. ( have done it a number of times) ask a broker ( Bill Owen in cairns is the one I have used - has a website)

 

But I reckon the most likely time in its entire life mine had damage risk was the trips on a trailer from home to painters place and back to airport.

 

 

[billwoodmason]

Generally speaking aircraft are for flying not trailering, but having said that I have trailered a Jab fuselage to be refurbished (20K's or so).

 

Wings off is easy - 1 Disconnect the flaps.

 

2 Disconnect the aileron cables inside the Fuse at the bell rank and free the cable so it will exit the fuse when removing the wing halves.

 

3 Disconnect the pitto hose where it exits the fuse.

 

4 Get a friend to take the weight of the wing at the tip, then disconnect the outboard end of the strut, then disconnect the two wing attach bolts at the fuse then with a carefully extract the wing away from the fuse - it my be helpful to have a third person so you can have two people on the inboard end of the wing. Ie. One on the leading edge and one on the trailing edge.

 

5 Disconnect the inboard end of the wing strut from the fuse. All done.

 

It would be too inconvenient to do whilst tripping around holidaying in my opinion Russ.

 

 

[gandalph]

loading a jab onto trailer with wings off..............taking wings off, then later, refitting them........easily doable ?? The actual removal / refitting etc.Mulling over the idea of towing behind as we go walk about.

Russ, P.M. Oscar. I think I read on here somewhere that he had trailered his from Sydney to Toowoomba and back with good results.

 

 

[Jaba-who]

Just reread my post and it sounds a bit like I mean i I think it's a good idea as long as you have insurance. Sorry - I think the opposite.

 

Airframes don't do well with the shaking around and vibration etc for more than a short trip for eg. like going for a paint job or recovery etc.

 

Also despite being reasonably easy to get wings off and on anything not made for multiple disconnects and reconnects tends to be degraded by doing so. Close tolerance holes get burred out etc.

 

I'd be flying it where ever you want to go.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

How do you get your Jab back to bundy without a trailer?

 

 

[billwoodmason]

How else FT - fly it of course.

 

 

[Oscar]

Russ, it's a fairly complex question.

 

I've moved aircraft ranging from a B-25, a Canberra bomber, a couple of Sea Furies, a Mosquito, an Me262 and a Meteor, down to my own LSA55 Jab around the place. In the past 10 years I moved by road a Victa from East Sale to Brisbane and back to Morrabin; my own LSA55 I've taken to Toowoomba, Caloundra and return to near Mittagong. All with no incidents or damage.

 

Seriously important: are you intending to trailer a J230 or a J160? The J230 horizontal stabiliser/+ elevator length will take you into 'oversize' territory. Not into requiring 'escort' ( at least in most States. but you might need to check) but signs and flashing lights etc. - and a 'wide load' permit / documentation.

 

Next consideration: trailer load/spring rates. A Jab is fundamentally a light load for its volume; a standard car trailer will shake the crap out of one because it is designed to carry a 2-tonne plus load. Here's my set-up for an LSA55, using a modified standard 1800 x 1200 box trailer, that has a roll-bar and shock absorbers:

 

 

It tows like a champ, at up to around 125khp even on bumpy roads ( the New England Highway) - but that has a fair bit to do with nearly 40 years of dragging trailers around, and when racing motor cars, at rather illegal speeds in the depth of the night. Same trailer with different fitting has towed a Victa - including a 26-foot span wing - across three States..

 

With wing tanks, you'll need to be able to drain the tanks before removing the wings - no biggie, just you might want to arrange storage for the unused fuel on the trailer. You may be able to use that as balancing weight for the towball download.

 

All of the 'trailering' stuff, is solvable by a bit of thought as to trailer and fittings design. I think the more relevant stuff may be: what will you let yourself in for (reglulations and insurance-wise) regarding wing detachment / re-attachment at the new site - and if you trailer to 'B', then fly to 'C', then need to retrace to 'B' to retrieve the trailer and tow vehicle to go to 'C'?

 

 

 

[Oscar]

Russ - one I forgot: (same trailer, a better view of it): Toowoomba - Bundaberg. A lash-up, but the trailer is re-configurable.

 

 

 

[fly_tornado]

How else FT - fly it of course.

How many trips have you made Bill?

 

 

[SDQDI]

Lol FT you would make a good milkshake I reckon:stirrer: Stirring away like that:doh:

 

 

[fly_tornado]

I don't think you can truly be considered a true believer without at least one pilgrimage to the rum capital. Soft crate their engines

 

 

[Russ]

Oscar...........maate...........bestest maaaaaate, how about we hire that trailer of yours for about 6 mths. It looks the goods..........................maaate:blush:

 

 

[Oscar]

Actually, it's pretty easy to do (although I did make that particular trailer specifically to be multi-purpose.)

 

The extended drawbar is a bolt-on, with the standard trailer draw-bar having the tow-ball fitting removed and the extended bar bolted to it. That drawbar is a bit longer than ideal - iot was built to accommodate the Victa wing, with the front tip about halfway over a ute tub (takes some careful calculation so you don't get the tip banging into the tub when traversing drains etc.), but Jab wings are no problem there..

 

The wings are carried on bolt-in 'H' frames with ratchet straps and load spreaders on, as you can see the straps are positioned over the root and tip ribs so they don't compress the skin. The wheels sit on a cross-beam bolted under the draw-bar. Is loaded from the front by dropping off the vehicle, I can load the entire thing by myself but the LSA55 wings are very light - easily handled by one person - though not in a strong wind..

 

I used it without the engine in place, that adds more towball load than I'd like, because with a 6 x 4 trailer platform the mains are a fair way in front of the trailer axle;

 

If I were doing up one for serious outback travelling, I think I'd select an 8 x 6 dual wheel platform with the springs softened right down and the wheels a bit further forward on the trailer frame - you need to get the mains reasonably close to the leading axle. On an 8 x 6 platform, I'm pretty sure you could load a J160 from the rear straight onto the platform, then it's a matter of having the front open to allow the nosewheel to sit forward, and building a 'protection +visibility frame out the back so silly buggers don't hit the tailplane, that easily bolts on once the thing is loaded (or still load from the front, which is actually easier, but you have to get the ramp configuration right....)

 

 

[Guest GraemeM]

If you are going road touring for a length of time you will only want to see from above the area where you are. Anything further away you drive and camp there.

 

In that case you need a flying machine that is easy and quick to get ready almost on impulse, I don't like planing out my holidays to much.

 

A machine that is user friendly, great for photography, short take off and land, very safe in case of an out landing, cheap to run and easy to tow.

 

 

 

[Guest GraemeM]

There are other advantages in a Powered Parachute also.

 

If you happen to get the chute wet they are easy to hang out to dry.

 

But keep an eye on them at all times because the breed quickly.

 

 

 

 

[billwoodmason]

None FT - like the majority of owners I haven't had the need to.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

Come on Bill I've heard plenty have visited Bundy, some more than once. Lots of owners don't like talking about it as it upsets the resale.

 

I met this one fellow who bought a new J120 around the time the Bundy floods where happening, he had to take his plane back to Bundy after the floods cleared because Jabiru supplied it with a twisted wing.

 

 

[facthunter]

I've done ONE long tow. (tandem axle trailer) I would suggest the biggest problem is wind loads on the wing structure from opposite direction semi's and fretting and rubbing with cable runs and support points where it is secured. Fully enclosed would be good and softly sprung trailer with damping. If the Aircraft's sitting on it's wheels and they move outwards as well as upwards THAT would have to be taken into account. There's a lot of bumping and jolting in a 30 hour trip. Nev

 

 

[kgwilson]

We just had a Jabiru engineer here to take the wings of a 230 that had a rough landing & the whole process took about 2 hours. If you were going to do it regularly you would want to install some outboard quick disconnect fuel fittings, quick disconnects for flaps & ailerons & any electrical wiring. I have all these in my Sierra & removal of the wings with a helper at the wing tip takes about 10 minutes but then there are just 2 main bolts holding the wing spars on to the steel sub frame and 2 bolts connecting the drag spar after the fuel, wiring, aileron & flap quick disconnects, plus it is a low wing so everything is in easy reach.