shaggy48

Well I"m sure this has been done and I'm curious what others have come up with to transport their assembled plane in the bed of a pick up truck. Mine is a 1 ton long bed so plenty of room to fit an assembled plane. I'm flying my first two piece wing plane and going through the growing pains of having to assemble it at the flying field. You know the drill, put the wings on, put in the retaining clips, then the wing retaining bolts, then the canopy, secure that, then finally fuel up and fly. With my previous models, I'd just put the single piece wing on, fuel up and fly. Big difference, and one I'm trying to get used to. But...

I'm deliberating just taking the plane to the field already assembled...if I can properly secure the plane in the bed of my pickup truck. I'm sure I can fabricate some hold downs, and my field is only about 5 miles from my house, with top speed (legally) only 35 MPH. But what says the RCU masses? Is this a wise idea? Or am I asking for trouble? No, I'm not gonna get a specialized transport for my planes. (yet) Maybe someday if I collect enough planes and want to take them all to the field. But right now I only have two to worry about two. One is a 40 size and the other a 60 size. If I could take the two piece in the bed already assembled, I could then take the other one in the back seat. So I could fly both models in one trip. Right now I can only take one per trip.

Appreciate the advice.
Shaggy

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

I've done this for many years and never had any trouble.

You have to use common sense. run a criss cross rope over the plane parts if they are in the bed.

oldvet70

My Feedback: (10)

I also transport in an open bed, some planes assembled some not. The easy solution is to weigh down the planes with small lead shot  'sand bags'. A couple over the axle and maybe the tail on conventional gear and everything is fine at 65mph.

ChuckW

I occasionally use a rack made from PVC that is screwed to the bed floor. The plane is secured to the rack with bungee cords. Another option would be to secure apiece of plywood or something similar to the bed floor. You could then install eyelets into this to hook bungees or other means of holding the airplane down. You could even fabricate all sorts of wooden or metal brackets that would work if you are imaginative enough.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I fly with a friend that drives a truck, I have even gone to the field with him a few times taking a plane myself. He just uses tie down straps. He did make up some wood straps that go over his control surfaces and uses rubber bands to clamp these on so his surfaces don't get kicked around but the vortex winds. Not good on the gears.

rravetrainshop

My Feedback: (2)

I have a little S10 with a bed length of 70 inches  and I am building  a plane with a length of 78 inches nose to tail . I also have a .40 trainer and it does not fit in the cab, I have been working on building a padded pvc carrier for the trainer and a larger pvc sprung padded cradle for the larger plane so that both can be hauled around with out getting banged around. PVC is inexpensive and easy to work with And as above bungee the pvc to the truck bed  I was thinking about an old ambulance gerney with the drop down wheels adapted to the cradle just pull it out of the bed and you have an instant table. The only problem is it would place the plane to high in the bed of the truck. Might even get a few strange looks with a contraption like that!

bigdarylg

go to wall-mart and get fifty lbs. of play sand,a box of quart sized ziploc sandwich bags and a package of mens tube socks.fill 5 or 6 sandwich bags half full of sand,seal and put in tube socks. sew ends of tube socks shut with some monofiliment fishing line and you have perfect sandbags,wrap one around each wheel and these will hold your plane nicely. out of the 50 lbs. of sand i made several sets and passed them out to other club members

BillyGoat

Shaggy, it's been a long time since I've had a truck without a topper but did used to carry planes fully assembled to the field then. That was also when I had a short trip and like you the speed limits were low, never exceeding 25 mph. I never tied them down, just chocked the wheels to keep them from rolling around.

Ironically now that I use a topper I take the wings off on anything bigger than say a Twist. Found my planes get too much hangar rash loading, unloading, etc with wings on.

dhal22

i transport a 35% yak nose 1st in the back of my f350 truck, albeit with the wings in the cab. bungee cords on the landing gear with a retainer rope. i also secured 2 bungee cords to a child's swimming pool noodle to retain the tail. i loop the foam noodle around tail section and lightly stretch and hook the bungies to the sides of the truck. works fine. i also use pieces of 2" blue painters tape to secure the control surfaces during transportation.

i will switch to a trailer someday.

shaggy48

OK. Thanks everyone. Lots of good ideas

scooterinvegas

My Feedback: (1)

I criss cross strap's from corner to corner and drive 70 on freeway 25 miles to fly. So far, so good. Scoot

Zippi

My Feedback: (10)

shaggy48,

I drive an 03 Ranger Edge and I just use a spring loaded shower curtain rod from Wal-Mart. I set my plane in the bed with the engine facing the tail gate and then put the curtain rod across the bed and it doesn't have to have a lot of tension. Then I use a piece of velcro to secure the landing gear to the curtain rod. Been doing this for some years without a problem.

shaggy48

Now that's a simple and effective idea.
thanks zippi

TonyBuilder

My Feedback: (11)

shaggy48

I look forward to seeing it TB.

Shaggy

Leroy Gardner

Hey shaggy48. maybe thats what I should do, put them in my rack with tails behind cab ?, I tried it the other way around and stab. and rudder were fluttering like crazy, had to slow way down-it's 45mph and some folks did'nt like it. My bed is 6ft. also and I can't get my 60 size fuse in the cab. Like it or not I'm going to have to build a modual (removaable) 7 1/2 ft because I have a 84 1/2 one piece wing on the one I'm finishing up now. " Hey guys it's cheeper than a new trailer or truck".[]

Fly safe and have fun, Leroy

Lnewqban

Leroy,

With the bed door up, there is mostly turbulence within the volume of the bed.
Hence, protecting the surfaces form fluttering is more important than holding the fuse down.

Check this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37R4jZJaPbE

"Right behind the cab is a low-pressure area.
As the airflow passing over the cab dissipates a bubble is formed in the bed area.
A demonstration of this would be if you've ever followed a truck with some trash blowing around in the bed and occasionally rise as if it were going to blow out of the bed, but somehow it is just suspended above the bed rails and swirls around and around then drops back into the bed and floats up the surface and swirls around some more but never blows out of the bed.
This is called the Laminar bubble.
Due to the chassis, suspension components, and rotating wheels/tires, these restriction factors, cause turbulent flow slowing down the airflow speed."

Lnewqban

Hey, Shaggy, if your assembled plane is bigger than the bed of your truck, you can always try this improvised solution:

http://www.vatsaas.org/rtv/arsenal/t...ruck_test.aspx

If Rutan did it,..........what the heck!

chevypower1930

If you're in the market for a tonneau cover "truck bed cover" now would be a good time to bite the bullet and buy one... then you have NO worries of your plane getting knocked around... it would be just like a trunk just secure it from banging around and no worries

The Bluehead

For many years now I have taken a bed full of planes for an hour long interstate jaunt to my farm and have had no problems. I carefully place the planes in and using a few towels, to keep parts from rubbing, and place a piece of carpet down on top of them all. Weigh that down with a chain and nothing will move on you. Just last fall I got a new truck with a camper top. Now that will spoil you.

Good Luck, Will

shaggy48

Can't put a cover on the pickup because we often pull a goose neck horse trailer. A cover would have to be removed every time we need to use the trailer. Besides I do like the bed open to just toss stuff in when I need to. I did get myself a bathroom curtain rod though and it works great to hold my 60 size yak with some velcro holding the landing gear. Thank you Zippi for that little tip. I may have to get another one and if I set em right might get two planes in the bed of the truck. Just got a 40 size Escapade so now I will have two 40 size and one 60 size to transport. I gotta stop getting planes. Wonder if the wife'll let me use her horse trailer? I could get a bunch of planes in that thing!

LNEWQBAN I could build that thing easy too. Got a bunch of wood in the basement from when I got the great idea to finish it. The wood's been sitting there for about a year....LOL Probably wont get to it till I need more space to hang planes. Garage walls are running out of room.

Shaggy

dhal22

i always use a small piece of blue painters tape to keep the control surfaces from fluttering. just over lap the movable surface and the fixed. it works well on my 35% sized plane.

Leroy Gardner

Thats a interesting video on air flow, now I know I'm going to build a modual for my planes. It's not that hard to do. A slide in modual made of 1x2 fir frame and panneled with 1/4 in. luane ? plywood then fiber glassed and painted will make a light weight unit thats easy to slide in and out. Make it long enough to meet the end of tail gate when it's down and cab high and it should meet most needs. Don't forget a back door or hatch.

This problem is why so many in our club flies 40 size planes, you can get them in most cars and truck cabs. If you want bigger without the expence ??? than a modual is the answer. Just one guys view.

" Hey" go bigger and make a modual, and have fun, fly safe, Leroy