Hauling Your Plane in a Pickup... Best Ideas? Post them here!

[bobzilla]

Thx Stang..it is too bad that H9 did not offer this is some other color schemes. Took a big crash to get it recovered to the way it now.

 

[1932]

Bob that is not even funny!

 

[IMAC FANATIC]

IMAC budy built a " coffin top" out of plywood to protect the plane in transit with an open pick up bed, some big piano hinges to open close in front and duz/ jeep hood type fasteners for the clam shell top, really slick and barely over 100.00. Removed with 6 large screws when not in use. Whole thing made from off shelf Home Depot items, Ill try to get a pic of it somehow. He carried it in open bed till driving on newly paved highway during construction, imagine 12 miles of buckshot, were dents , torn, monokote , cracked canopy.
He has a shell now.
Minimum.. wrap with blankets or bubble wrap before serious travel.

 

[stangflyer]

Does anyone worry about the ties going to landing gear and stressing the landing gear block at fuselage? I would think some foam or cushion on the bottom
of fuselage would even out the load.

Probably not too much concern there. Considering the landing gear and gear blocks/fuselage probably sustain a much higher degree of stress on some landings.

 

[bigblueswope]

IMAC budy built a " coffin top" out of plywood to protect the plane in transit with an open pick up bed, some big piano hinges to open close in front and duz/ jeep hood type fasteners for the clam shell top, really slick and barely over 100.00. Removed with 6 large screws when not in use. Whole thing made from off shelf Home Depot items, Ill try to get a pic of it somehow. He carried it in open bed till driving on newly paved highway during construction, imagine 12 miles of buckshot, were dents , torn, monokote , cracked canopy.
He has a shell now.
Minimum.. wrap with blankets or bubble wrap before serious travel.

Pics would be great. Will be transporting in the bed of a pickup for a while and want ideas on how to protect it.


BJ Swope

 

[Bartman]

I find it so much easier to just take apart and pile it in.

 

[Bartman]

the only thing i'd add to the many good ideas above is to always have a big tarp with you for when rain showers move over the field. i used my old pick-up when I had it and the tarp saved me a few times.

I had a spot for a 2x4 to go across the bed and lock into the bed-liner so I'd just bungee the gear to the 2x4 and it would stay there...it was the Akromaster in my avatar.

 

[RJ 706]

I carried mine in the bed with a SnugTop. I used one large and one small bean bag chairs to support it and reduce the shock on the gear and tail wheel. Worked great. Recently retired the pickup in favor of a Ford Flex. The Flex is perfect to transport planes, suspension is much better for the plane and myself. Still use the small bag on the rear of the fuse.

 

[myfivezees]

Anyone have any experience with a setup like this ? Getting close to finishing a JTEC 1/3 scale Taylorcraft and need to find a way to transport it in my pickup truck.

 

[fencelake]

Anyone have any experience with a setup like this ? Getting close to finishing a JTEC 1/3 scale Taylorcraft and need to find a way to transport it in my pickup truck.

I've seen a setup similar to this, and it seemed to work pretty well. My biggest issue will be keeping the tail from touching the back of my truck bed, since it's going to be facing backwards. I'm going to build a plywood anchoring system similar to the photos on page 1. I'm definitely going to have a rain cover too. I got caught at the field last summer in a thunderstorm. Everyone with campers packed up and left, and I had to ride it out.