Transporting a jab

[Russ]

Oscar ol mate.......I take that as a YES, .....Using your trailer.

 

 

[Blueadventures]

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:

 

[ATTACH=full]35950[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]35951[/ATTACH]

 

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'?

Hi Fully agree, the springs are most important to match the light load as a car trailer will be a violent jumping action, another is the trailer base, best to some how have the base enclosed or tarp deflectors to prevent stones and rocks etc getting flicked up onto the aircraft surfaces. Perhaps consider having some tangs off the axle bolts to use as the tie down ponts, I did this for my past skyfox when trailering. And another most important matter is the windscreen; if you place a cover on it you will most likely finish up with any dirt / grit matter in the material being rubbed badly into the screen. Usually need to tow no cover on the windscreen. Hope this is helpful and any correction to this are welcome.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

 

 

[Oscar]

Some very good points above!. Yes, the dam wheels move with jolting; my mains on that trailer are in effect flat-bottom buckets that the wheels sit in, with the sides canted out so the rim can't hit the quite low sides and the sides won't cut into the tyres. Tied down at the mains by the axles (ratchet strap around the u/c leg, arranged so it doesn't foul the brake caliper) and some pre-load put on the entire undercarriage set-up from the bottom engine mount tubes at the firewall - same as for transporting motorbikes, if they can get a 'bounce' up, they'll move all over the place. Nosewheel sits inside two similar rails so it can't twist.

 

Because of the narrow trailer, I had to mount the wings above the wheels but with a wider platform, I agree with Nev that getting the wings lower and inside elevated sides that protect them from at least some of the truck wind blast, would be good. Because I have a sway-bar on the axle plus shock absorbers, the truck blast didn't set up the typical trailer oscillation as the axle on leaf springs gets up a self-exciting steering movement due to differential loading on the axle - sometimes leading to a more exciting driver experience than I like..

 

Mike's point re no cover on the windscreen is very much to be noted - road grit WILL get in under any damn cover that can flap in the wind.

 

I installed a reversing camera on the ute and pointed it so I can monitor the securing straps.

 

And you need to remember that, when traversing things like service station entrances, that the tail will move up and down relative to the road by way more than any dip/hump at the wheels... I didn't make sufficient allowance for that when moving the B-25 and ended up with one of the fins neatly between two high-tension power wires, which did not amuse the local electricity authorities who had to organise high-voltage gear to lift a wire out of the way so we could complete passing under it.

 

 

[Oscar]

Oscar ol mate.......I take that as a YES, .....Using your trailer.

Actually, it wouldn't fit a 160, it's absolutely purpose-built for an LSA55 (or 55-based, probably do a J120 at a pinch). But - if you do decide to go down the trailer route, I'm more than happy to give you whatever information I gained for you to mull over and use/discard as the case may be - but I'm very much hoping that I'll need that trailer to take my own aircraft back to Toowoomba for final assembly and the start of test flying, in the next 6 months!.

 

 

[facthunter]

With the undercarriage springing I would treat it like a motorbike and compress the legs by pulling down with straps Chock the wheels with fixed chocks and pull on the engine mount or something better if you can find it. I had the tailwheel out on a longish plank, bolted firmly to the trailer. Ive heard tales of considerable damage when transporting by road. If a tarp flaps on your plane it won't look too good when you arrive. I'd like the wings to be in those little blobs of foam in plastic bags in a in a box fully enclosed so nothing moves. I'm no expert. Oscar seems to be across it. Nev

 

 

[Russ]

i've trailered gyros all over the country, proven method of tying down is a "cage" over the 2 mains, pulling down over the tyres. Nose wheel into a small tyre, then lashed down. Never.........had issues.

 

It's not the "securing" bit i'm worrying about, just the wings off n on stuff, i wasn't up to speed with.

 

As to wind / weather protection.......easy, a partial cage with tarp laced to it....worked before no probs. About 2/3rds covering machine.

 

 

[Yenn]

No your wife will not do as an independent inspector of control connections unless she is qualified. You are required to have an independent inspection whenever you replace controls, done by another pilot, or a LAME or I suppose level 2. That is according to CASA and I think it probably applies to RAAus.

 

 

[Jaba-who]

If you are going to be taking the wings off and on then perhaps looking at a folding wing kit might be advantageous.

 

I can't vouch for these and don't even know if they still are available. I only draw your attention to their existence.

 

Have a look at http://www.jabiruowner.co.uk/ > builders forum > wings scroll through till you find the text.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Russ]

No your wife will not do as an independent inspector of control connections unless she is qualified. You are required to have an independent inspection whenever you replace controls, done by another pilot, or a LAME or I suppose level 2. That is according to CASA and I think it probably applies to RAAus.

" Replacing" ??.....what controls am I replacing. ( disconnect / reconnect )

 

Folding wings......not on a type "C"

 

Anyway, this idea of trailering me jab, is just that...an idea. Might do, may not do......just seeking the on...off bit.

 

 

[Jaba-who]

Mmm

 

I would guess that given the controls are not made for regular disconnect/reconnect etc. and would require some form of checking for cross connections and I guess rechecking of control surface arcs that CASA would deem these as being of a type to need inspection after each reconnection. I certainly wouldn't consider them total risk free reconnection ( It would be foreseeable that the left aileron cable could be connected to the right aileron side of the bell crank. etc. and produce opposite commands))

 

The folding wing kits appear to be simply a handle attachment to the bolts to make pulling the bolts out easier, and a pivot arm attached to the wing to allow for easier handling . You'd still have to disconnect all the fuel lines and control cables (if you have wet wings )

 

 

[Oscar]

Russ, Yenn has a really important point.

 

Setting up a suitable trailer is no biggie, just needs thought (and from experience, some time in getting things to really fit well!) Removing and attaching wings is also no biggie in terms of mechanical stuff - though a minimum of two people is required - grab a local L2 and have him guide you through it and you'll pick up the tweaks.

 

The wasp in the jam might well be the regulatory requirements for actually doing the attachment, particularly of the controls, and the implications for your insurance if that is NOT done in accordance with requirements.

 

With wet wings, you as 'controls' the flap actuation connections and the aileron cable connections to consider. You also have the fuel connections and the pitot tube connections on the lhs lift strut to take care of, though these are not 'controls'. You may have electrical connections if you have tip-mounted strobes.

 

May I make a surmise here? If you have in mind to make a major trip - 'grey nomad' style - across say the Top End, with the idea of centering your flying around a few bases along the way and spending some time at each flying all the little nooks and crannies, the trailer idea might just be damn good - provided the bases you select have the support L2's (if needed) on hand. Sort of like those el monstro Winnebagos with the small SUV's trailered behind, that you take to a new location and then live comfortably and reasonably cheaply for many weeks while you explore the 500k or so radius around it extensively. I have to say, that idea has serious appeal..

 

In that scenario, I reckon that allowing a day for rigging and having signed out so all is ticketty-boo, would be no major problem, and a day de-rigging and preparing to move to the next 'base camp' wouldn't irk either. Your 160 would be entirely fine for that sort of operation, whereas for an extended flying safari with no ground support, a 2XX has huge appeal .

 

 

[Aldo]

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.

FT

 

Resale not generally a problem, most don't want to sell them.

 

Aldo

 

 

[spacesailor]

Or a BIG ute !,