Posted by Sam M. on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 @ 05:42 AM:
Hey guys,
When i put our RF away after a flight, i always lift up the tail and push it in the hangar, how do you do it?
i've seen some people make tailwheel dollys for similar tail wheel arrangements. looks alot easier, and probably better for the horizontal.
[Edit by Sam M. on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 @ 05:43 AM]
Posted by Donald on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 @ 09:34 AM:
I'm pretty sure you should not be lifting it's tail by the horizontal stab. Maybe you're not really doing that but your post suggests you are.
But to answer your question, I usually pull it in by the prop then lift the tail, the aft fuselage not the stab, to back her into her slot.
Posted by Sam M. on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 @ 03:16 PM:
Our hangar is fairly small, so the only way to get it in the hangar is to back it in from the start. I lift with one hand on either side of the fairing so im real close to the attach point.
Posted by flyingkroeger on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 @ 06:45 PM:
Hi Sam,
Thanks for posting this question, which I think is quite relevant. I too lift the tail of my RF4 by supporting both leading edges of the tail plane. The handle in the fuselage was not re-installed when my plane was re-built. I always try to put a symmetrical load on the tail plane, and I firmly believe that the resulting stress is way less than the design load during aerobatics for instance. But maybe someone can give a more authoritative comment on this.
BR,
Tim
Posted by Jorgen on Wednesday, February 11, 2009 @ 05:54 PM:
Hi Guys,
good question, Sam. SE-XST (former G-AVNX) has a great modification, a handle that can be folded pretty flush with the fuselage by pressing and twisting. I haven´t seen it on other RF 4´s, but I´m pretty sure there are other RF´s with it, at least in the UK. It´s really neat for ground handling, just lift using the handle. I just registered with Image Shack so maybe a picture of it will appear below:
Take 5(b) just 4 fun/ Jörgen
Posted by Bob Grimstead on Wednesday, February 11, 2009 @ 07:16 PM:
Hi Jorgen,
Several British Fourniers have a handle, including our red one, WGN.
But I am pretty sure it doesn't retract. I wish it did.
Other Fourniers, including blue HDO, I lift as described above, but my back is paying the price.
In my mind, I have been trying to design a long-handled tailwhell lifting/pulling thingy. Paul Cooper has one for his RF4, but there is very little room under the horizontal stabilizer and rudder to manoeuvre it without the posibility of damaging something.
I suspect the swivelling tailwheel modification might be the best long-term answer.
Yours, Bob
Posted by Collin on Thursday, February 26, 2009 @ 03:30 PM:
Hello,
Here is a simple tow bar I made for the RF4. Helps save my back.
I drilled a 29/64" hole just before the wheel. Made the bar from 3/4" and a 7/16" rod.
--------------------
Collin Gyenes
Posted by Jorgen on Friday, February 27, 2009 @ 03:01 PM:
Collin,
that´s a really neat towbar, makes good sense to use such a device. God knows there are enough things to ruin your back on as it is and flying is supposed to do you good.
I beg your pardon, but I couldn´t help noticing the damage your rudder horn did to the edge of the rúdder groove. Maybe the rudder spring tension is to loose? I have used compression springs myself and I´m satisfied sofar. Aircraft Spruce sell them, I think.
Take 5(b) just 4 fun/ Jörgen
Edit- Errm, checked out SE-XST yesterday- I have an even deeper groove in the rudder horn cut-out. Comment on new thread in the "Maintenance"-section....
[Edit by Jorgen on Saturday, March 28, 2009 @ 03:00 AM]
Posted by eugenio on Friday, February 27, 2009 @ 04:38 PM:
At last I found the best way is to modify the tailwheel to make it swivelling, so you can push or pull your plane from the propeller and drive it where you want, alone. If you want to move it inside the hangar you can do a dolly like all gliding clubs use for storing the gliders, with four swivelling wheels you can drive the motorglider in any direction, and with a swivelling tailwheel you do not need a second dolly.
Rising the tail from the stabilizer's leading edge is not good, because you crack the plywood skin where the inside wood capstrip finishes and the plywood is not supported. On the RF3 manual is clearly written that you must not do so, but you must keep the fuselage bottom an raise from there.
ciao
Eugenio
Posted by Collin on Friday, February 27, 2009 @ 08:38 PM:
Eugenio,
Can you post a drawing of the tail mod or send the drawing and pictures and I can post them.
About what serial number did the RF4s have the pull handle installed.
This months AOPA (March) has Sammy and his friends in it. I will scan the article and post it soon.
--------------------
Collin Gyenes
Posted by Jorgen on Monday, May 25, 2009 @ 06:18 PM:
Hi Guys,
since RF 5 b´s are kind of on our minds at the moment as Collin flies across the US it might be appropriate to post this little tip on using a standard towbar to get it in the hangar. I think all RF 5 b´s have swivelling tailwheels and although you have more control pushing it backwards you might use the towbar if you need to pull forwards- as I do to get over the threshold.
Take 5/b) just 4 fun/ Jörgen
[Edit by Jorgen on Monday, May 25, 2009 @ 06:36 PM]
Posted by Collin on Thursday, March 18, 2010 @ 12:25 PM:
Tow bar for RF5B
Posted by Bob Grimstead on Friday, March 29, 2013 @ 02:52 AM:
Hi Guys,
As you probably all know by now, I have seriously damaged my back and leg (spinal osteo-arthritis, bulged discs, bone spurs, a ruptured disc and a trapped nerve).
Since the biggest strains I have encountered in recent years have been lifting Fourniers in and out of hangars and digging drainage ditches to get rid of the lake on our airstrip, I blame my back troubles squarely on my Fourniers
To my intense frustration, my back/leg went just one week after making and starting to use my towbar, but I reckon by then the damage was already done.
Anyhow, here is a picture of the towbar plus modified tailwheel (currenty removed from aeroplane to incorporate the swivelling tailwheel mod).
As ever, it is made from odd, mostly scrap stuff I had lying around.
The long components are made from eight-foot lengths of 1 3/4 inch thick-walled square-section tubing, actually really too strong and heavy for this applicaton.
They are welded at an appropriate angle, achieved by laying one down on the hangar floor and supporting the other on a stepladder at chest height to get the correct angle.
The 'business end' is an eighteen-inch length of fairly thin-walled 3 1/2 inch box section 'patio tubing'.
This is attached to the shorter arm with half-a-dozen Tek screws (my welding is very poor).
The 'handle' is a foot(ish) long length of half-inch threaded studding, with a big washer either end of an appropriate length of simple chrome-plated 3/4 inch clothes hanging rail. Nuts on the ends hold it all in place. This 'handle' is already starting to bend, but now I know the whole thing works, I'll replace that with something better.
The axle is also a length of threaded studding, with nuts inboard and outboard and two of the outrigger wheels that were fitted to WGN when I bought it.
Being blue, I thought they were more suited to HDO as tailwheels, but having no bearings I dropped that idea.
I replaced the Fournier's tailwheel axle with a length of half-inch (I think) threaded studding, all held in place with Nylok nuts.
The cut-outs were made by trial and error to fit around the tailwheel and under its extended axle.
I hope this might be useful to other guys out there.
If any of you have better ideas, I'm open to suggestions, possibly with bigger wheels and a different method of gripping the tailwheel, like this Stearman towbar.
Yours, Bob
[Edit by Bob Grimstead on Friday, March 29, 2013 @ 03:04 AM]
--------------------
Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV
Posted by Bob Grimstead on Friday, March 29, 2013 @ 02:57 AM:
Sorry about the lousy typing guys.
Because of my back damage, I have to lie on my stomach with my upper body propped up on my elbows, using a laptop.
I already have carpet burns on my elbows, so I'm using rollerblading protection pads on them now, but the whole thing is pretty awkward and difficult -- not helped by the fact that Karen is currently vacuuming all aound me noisily because her family are all coming for Easter tomorrow!!
Yours, Bob
--------------------
Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV
Posted by Donald on Friday, March 29, 2013 @ 03:28 AM:
I like the look of that Stearman towbar. I've occasionally thought I should make something like that for the RF3 but I'm fundamentally lazy. However as I'm now past retirement age maybe I should in case I end up on my front like you, Bob. The RF3 is easier to lift, though, one advantage of the square bottom to the fuselage.
Posted by dannparks on Sunday, April 14, 2013 @ 09:36 PM:
A different approach... I slide my 4 into the hangar sideways (the only way it will fit). I made a ramp dolly for the front wheel. It tilts and you just roll the plane onto it and it stays in place with a little wooden wedge. Put the wedge behind a dolly wheel and you just push it off.
The rear sits on a small furniture dolly.
Then I pull it in and out by the wing. Once in the hangar, you can move it around in any direction. The dolly parts came from a cannibalized motorcycle dolly from Harbor Freight, but it would be just as easy to make it from scratch.
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Dann Parks • RF4D #4051 N2188 • now flying!
Pictures at: https://picasaweb.google.com/111628310900713778468/RF4D_N2188?noredirect=1
Posted by Jorgen on Friday, April 19, 2013 @ 02:56 AM:
Thanks for sharing that, Dann,
I like the way you can move around effortlessly with that setup. I've seen many gliding clubs use that way- packing the hanger tight is an art form! It does however require that you have reasonably smooth floors/aprons.
Your 4 looks magnificent, I need sunglasses just to look at the Pictures. You'd better go get some dirt on that plane and be like the rest of us!!! ;)
May the 4's be with you/ Jörgen
