Jim Meade Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 What do you use if you want to store or transport CTSW wings? What do you use or do if you want to work on the wing? Lay it on a table? Hold it in slings or a cradle? Or have you built a rotisserie for the wing? I'm going to be removing my wings for normal maintenance and I may end up doing some equipment or accessory installations (mine is registered experimental) so it might be nice to be able to place the wing in various attitudes and to approach it from different aspect. It might be nice to hold the wing very still so I could take some precise measurements or be sure of what incidence a device was in relation to the wing chord. Experiences and especially pictures welcomed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Baker Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 The nicest one I have seen for the CT was at Lockwood. One end had a cutout for the profile of the wing, and the other a flat area for the spar at the wing root to set on. For quick wing inspections and small repairs I have used saw horses with a large piece of foam on top. For transport short distances I put the wings top side down on a flatbed trailer with foam rubber below and strap it down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anticept Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 I have transported my LS to a school yard to teach about aviation, and one wing sat under the plane, while the other sat on top of the heavy duty rack on top of the tow vehicle. The back of the flatbed trailer had a downward slope, so we did not have any issues with the wingtip. Everything sat on an inch of foam. The nose and cabin section were covered, as well the entire length of the wings. Have to use a cotton cloth so it doesn't scratch the lexan. As for wing storage, just plane them on sawhorses with a good bit of padding. When you take the wings off, here's what you need to look out for: First, wing removal is a two person job, minimum, but recommended to have three. Use of jacks with foam padded boards attached to the top to act as a catch is highly recommended, as these are your safety net and support. Do not let the wings droop, or raise them too high, during removal. The pins are extremely strong, while the sockets in the fuselage are a little weaker. If you let the wing droop, you will cause rear socket damage. Too low or too high is basically if the wing's spar tongue's end is about to touch the bottom or the top of the spar box. It's a LOT of travel, but still, be careful! Make sure the person at the wing root is aware of the flap. As soon as it is free from the flap torque bar, it will drop. This is fine, just make sure nobody gets pinched fingers, or scratches the fuselage. Be sure to disconnect wires and tubes as soon as your fingers can get between the fuselage and wing root before taking it completely off. And of course, read the manual! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted May 18, 2014 Report Share Posted May 18, 2014 And don't forget to support the far wing while you're removing the near wing. We use two 6-foot stepladders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Meade Posted May 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2014 I appreciate all the reminders on how to remove a wing. I've done it before and will do it again, so the refresher is not out of order and is useful to those who are contemplating it. What I'll be focusing on mostly is how to store the wings temporarily in my shop, how to move them around in the shop and how to manipulate them to work on them. Road transportation ideas are always nice to know, of course. I'm wondering if people use canvass or similar slings which conform to the wing, if they like plywood cutouts that will hold the wings, or what. I'm assuming the best way to store is vertically with the leading edge down. I'm going to have mine off for a month or more as I do other airplane work and I can't get the plane in the shop with the wings on. As far as manipulating the wing, it would be nicest if one could do so alone. I was wondering if anyone had made a rotisserie to facilitate that. Well, anyway, thanks for the ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Meade Posted May 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2014 The EAA has plans for a nice carrier that is useful for most, just not precisely what I was hoping for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Lee Posted May 19, 2014 Report Share Posted May 19, 2014 I have some wing slings that were given to me by Al Meyer. I'll take some pics next time out at the hangar. I have transported CTSW wings in a Uhaul with straps screwed onto the wall and made to act like slings. This worked very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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