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wing removal

Deweyclawson

Well Known Member
I may have to remove the wings of my RV10 to get it home. See this thread:
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=167228
Before deciding my course of action I have to get some ideas on how hard it is to remove and reinstall the wings. Things to watch out for. What size trailer will I need to fit the fuselage/wings, etc.

The option is do an engine remove/replace at an airport 400 miles form home with min help from the one and only resident mech.

Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.
 
The 10 wings are just about the same as the 14 and the 14's wings are very easy to install and remove.

The biggest issue you'll have is wiring, as in did the builder install connectors so the wiring can be disconnected or will you have to cut/pull wires from the wing.

Don't forget to drain the fuel first ;)
 
The 10 wings are just about the same as the 14 and the 14's wings are very easy to install and remove.

The biggest issue you'll have is wiring, as in did the builder install connectors so the wiring can be disconnected or will you have to cut/pull wires from the wing.

Don't forget to drain the fuel first ;)

If there is no connector on the wires, you're better off tagging each wire and cutting them, assuming there is some slack. You can then later add a connector or solder them back together upon re-assembly. I would not fish the wires out of the wing.

Problem with trailering is the wheelbase. Don't know the specs on the 10 off hand, but even my 6 wouldn't fit an a standard trailer width. I needed a 4 place snowmobile trailer.

Larry
 
In your other thread you’re stated that you are not a mechanic. I would suggest that it is far less risky to just have the engine removed where it sits instead of risking damage removing, transporting everything, and reinstalling the wings. I’m guessing that you would have to remove the horizontal stab as well.
After all that work (and risk) you still will have the engine to deal with.
The engine can easily be removed in a half day by a competent mechanic. JMHO.
 
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Dewey, I feel for you, you are in a tough spot. My perspective is that I would not describe removing the wings in the field as easy - those bolts can be tough to get back out. Lots of issues with safe transport, including salt spray this time of year. If it was me, I would lean towards keeping the wings on my airplane and pulling the engine in the field. You need a floor jack, a pickup truck, and a set of basic tools. One day work max. Keep us in the loop, I'm not too far away and perhaps we could pitch in and help, depending on timing.

FWIW I would also get a second opinion on that prop before pulling an engine.
 
Dewey, I feel for you, you are in a tough spot. My perspective is that I would not describe removing the wings in the field as easy - those bolts can be tough to get back out. Lots of issues with safe transport, including salt spray this time of year. If it was me, I would lean towards keeping the wings on my airplane and pulling the engine in the field. You need a floor jack, a pickup truck, and a set of basic tools. One day work max. Keep us in the loop, I'm not too far away and perhaps we could pitch in and help, depending on timing.

FWIW I would also get a second opinion on that prop before pulling an engine.

+1

This is what I would do. If you show up with a pickup truck and a cherry picker/engine hoist ($125 at harbor freight or rent locally), it isn't that much work to pull the engine and get it home to analyze / fix. Bring an old tire to hold/cradle the engine once it is off. I am confident that you could pull an engine in one day with basic tools. Finding a VAF"er locally that has done this to help should make it a pretty quick effort.

Larry
 
Dewey,

I tend to agree that a wing and likely horiz. stab pull will be a challenging field removal. I understand your concern about leaving the plane outside especially this time of year, but maybe you can beg borrow or steal some hangar space. I know the Kingston airport and there is probably only about a dozen hangar slots on the field, but maybe somebody is willing to work with you.
Whatever you decide to do, I am about an hour away and would be happy to provide a helping hand.
 
I'd much rather spend two-three weekends going back and forth to where the airplane is as opposed to trailering it. RV-10's have very wide gear which makes them more difficult than the other RV's to transport.

If you get a new engine that is "exactly" like your old one, it would literally take a day for a someone with decent wrenching skills to change the engine. My experience with these things is that something will go wrong (a hose will be the wrong length, or...) and you'll have to order a part or two, but I'd much rather do that and spend an extra weekend than trailer the thing.
 
width

If one of you is at the airport this weekend, with an RV10, can you please measure the gear width, outside to outside of the tires. If it is over 8ft then I know I can't get it on a trailer. I do have access to a 24ft enclosed trailer that is 8ft wide inside. The horiz and vert tail would have to come off in addition to the wings.

Thanks,
 
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If one of you is at the airport this weekend, with an RV10, can you please measure the gear width, outside to outside of the tires. If it is over 8ft then I know I can't get it on a trailer. I do have access to a 24ft enclosed trailer that is 8ft wide inside. The horiz and vert tail would have to come off in addition to the wings.

Thanks,

Dewey, the gear width is right at 8' without axle extensions. Most box trucks are 8' wide at the outside and have a doorframe at the back that is narrower than the box itself.

Here's a thread with measurements.

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?p=1289488&highlight=width#post1289488
 
You CAN get a -10 fuselage into a standard 8' container but it's a bit of a mission. I shipped mine from UK to South Africa.

First, the wheels have to come off. Secondly, you need to put a ratchet strap onto the gear and "ease" it as much as you can. You can then use a couple of pieces of 4x2 with a notch cut in. Sit the stub axles in the notch and slide along the wooden floor of the container. Take care not to damage the pant/brake mounts. Tail feathers also have to come off, of course.......

Getting the wings off and on is relatively simple.
 
Getting the wings off and on is relatively simple.

An unskilled, zero experience worker doing it on a ramp in zero degree F weather, without damaging the close tolerance bolt holes is another matter. Its not uncommon for the extraction crew to do more damage to a plane than the crash...

Charlie
 
Dewey, last year we relocated to a new home 600 miles away. My -10 had the engine and horizontal on, but The wings were not on. I had two choices, move it or stay in the old area and live like a hermit until finished. After looking at all my options, I decided to live like a hermit. Moving from a garage to 10 or 20 miles down the road is one thing. Trusting a flat bed tow truck driver or equivalent to get you plane to its destination undamaged is a huge risk. I really doubt that any damage they caused would be covered. Then one bad thing is suddenly multiplied.
 
There is no way that I would try to remove the wings and tail section outside without proper tools and jigs to hold the wings up while they are removed. It is not easy between the wiring, the fuel and the close tolerance bolts. It is even harder when you were not the builder and have no knowledge of how the wings were installed. I would tie the plane down outside. This time of year it?s unlikely that weather would cause any damage. Have someone help you remove the engine and have it repaired. Drive it to Penn Yann. You will do far more damage to the airframe disassembling it than the weather will do this time of year.
 
if the engine's ok, would it be easier to beg/borrow/steal a new or used FP prop just to get it home? but you'd have to put in a crank plug....

Or could you just put in a crank plug and fly home with your prop at flat pitch?

just thinkin'.....
 
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make it fixed pitch

if the engine's ok, would it be easier to beg/borrow/steal a new or used FP prop just to get it home? but you'd have to put in a crank plug....

Or could you just put in a crank plug and fly home with your prop at flat pitch?

just thinkin'.....

Unless an adjustment can be made to the prop stops, it does not produce enough thrust to maintain level flt at flat pitch.
 
Dewey,
When your prop went to 2700 rpm during cruise flight we can assume it was due insufficient oil pressure against the springs, which normally hold the blades to low pitch/high rpm. In effect you had a fixed pitch climb prop. Without oil pressure/or the prop control full forward, the blades should remain at low pitch. I am not a prop expert by any means, but it seems to me that you should be able to takeoff at full throttle, generate 2700 rpm, then reduce power/rpm to a reasonable cruise setting and fly the bird home. This is assuming that there are no issues with the engine.
Should you decide to pull the engine, once again, I am an hour away and would be glad to give you a hand.
 
Removal

Jake;
Thanks for the offer. It is gong be a month or 2 before I can actually do anything. I need to talk to Lycoming, Hartzell and NE prop shop before deciding on a course of action. I know that flying it out with this prop is not going to work. Apparently no oil press and the prop goes right to the stops whereas full power, flat pitch is much coarser pitch. Flat pitch is almost no thrust. Possibly the mechanical stops can be adjusted to fly it as a fixed pitch but I don't know that. Again Thanks for your offer. It will be the middle or end of Mar before I figure this out.
 
Dewey, do you have the Hartzell manual for your prop? It explains that the low pitch stops should be set such that the prop is against the stops for takeoff. The governor only come into play as the airplane gains airspeed.
 
saga is ending

In Apr, 4 of us drove to Kingston, NY, took the 10 apart and squished the fuselage, sans eng, into a 24 ft enclosed trailer. Nose gear also had to come off. I got the eng back from Penn Yan Aero (Zero time overhaul done) in Jul and just finished reinstalling it. Still need a new Manifold press hose before running it. Oil is in. wings are on. extended range fuel tanks are going in this week (fuel transfer pump wiring and plumbing done). Tail feathers are going on this PM. It will be flyin on Thur. don't know which Thur.

Penn Yan said the original problem, loss of oil press to the prop, was probably caused by corrosion found on the thrust face of the crank.

It was going to cost $30K (and I already had $8K in it for the tear down) to fix. Only another $6K for complete overhaul to zero time. All 6 cyls were cracked at the exhaust ports. Apparently that is not unexpected for a 3300 hr engine.

The bottom line. It is fairly easy to get the wings off with 3 or 4 folks and a little planning. The wheels have to come off to fit in an 8 ft trailer. Pulling the gear together will only get you an inch of so. It was worth taking the wings off to be able to work at home hanger and remove "get-home-itis" from the equation.
 
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