a70eliminator

Hi all, got a 1/3 scale bipe that fits nicely atop my truck, I bungee straped the gear to the crossbar in front and another bungee over the tail, drove to the field checking often with a hand held mirror at 45mph and all appears well, 20mi. to destination with no ill effects despite what I was told about ripping the wing off, I'm going to do it again here in a little bit.

flyinwalenda

My Feedback: (5)

Looks good.
Report back when a tractor trailer passes you around 70mph !

All Day Dan

My Feedback: (5)

I doubt if the turbulence up there is the same. Check all you servo gears, servo mounts, pushrods, pushrod connections and hinges before you fly. Dan

Yank II

At the least, it will put an unbelievable amount of strain on the airframe and you will not know it until a failure of some structure. I suggest you have your buddy take you for a ride, on top of your truck, even at 25 mph and feel the pressures applied. You might change your mind. If you still want to do this, tie the tail so it can rise to level flight attitude to relieve the strain on the spars. We had to do this with full size aircraft. It was called flying in the ropes. I have tried this in the back of my pickup and really torn things up. Just my opinion.

a70eliminator

Once again to the field and all was well, no semi trucks on these rural roads, 45mph speed limit.
Sorry to say She had a little mishap and came home inside the truck this time, came around and leveled off for a landing, was settling down nicely, it was too late when I realized the plane had not quite cleared the rough, it hit pretty hard and severed the gear, broke the prop, broke the upper wing tip off and broke the lower wing in two, the rough I went down in was tall weeds growing up from plowed furrows so it was really really rough.
I'll have it back to airworthy in acouple weeks if I put my mind to it.

bikerbc

I had a buddy that transported his Byron Pitts on top of his car all the time.. Thats all he had so that's how he got it back and forth to the field...He never had any problems...When we are flying our planes are in a constant wind anyway...What I would not care for would be rain or road sand or that kind of thing...I think I would tend to keep my speed down a bit...When I first saw him doing it I thought he was nuts but he never had a problem and when he got to the field he was set up ready to go...I dont know if I would want to do it over a long haul but it might be something to try with an old bird that you were ready to retire anyway just to see what kind of effect a long trip would have...The problem is I love all my old birds ,they are like friends that I could not bear to hurt

a70eliminator

Back in the day I had a 1984 Toyota Celica GT that had an electric sunroof, I transported my Ultra Sport 60, cracked the sunroof just enough to drop the front wheels into the interior and then clamp down on the aluminum landing gear by closing up the sunroof, did it many many times, enough that my roof had permenent oil tracks down the center, I always thought had I had some way a paying out a line attached at the CG that I could fly it above the car, with somebody else driving, and I would have to riding in another vehicle behind on nice long strech of rural highway, think it would work?

drube

Wow..

a70eliminator

Yea I know, I'm dreamin again lol.

AB Bob

My Feedback: (20)

Gotta do whatcha gotta do!
Perhaps an air dam of sheet metal or ply up front of the plane?

4*60

My Feedback: (41)

I would build a box that fits on the roof rack and assemble at the field.

perttime

How high is your garage doorway?

a70eliminator

Not high enough, about 7'

a70eliminator

I would just break it down before going to that extreme, the plane does fit inside if I pull the wings, it's just really conveinient and easy this way.

perttime

Cyclists relatively frequently post pictures of what happens when you arrive at home with a bike in a roof rack - and forget that the bike is there...

a70eliminator

Check this out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8Fx_ir6McI

ticketec

My Feedback: (2)

Did this for a while till I bought a van to take it to the field. Only took it like this to the local field 30mins away, but roads up to 80km/h.

No problems!

Thanks

dave

spaceworm

I just got a used XCargo roof top carrier that I plan to use on my Bimmer 325e to xport my 1/4 scale Cub and Spacewalker, Probably not at the same time though, have yet to try that.