Baggage tie-down rings

Happy Holiday!

Since I weigh in at 160 lbs I will need ballast in the baggage compartment when solo. This got me thinking about securing ballast, luggage etc.

Any thoughts or examples?

I came up with these after searching the forums:

http://www.vansaircraft.com/cgi-bin...48957-402-63&browse=airframe&product=tie-down

http://pitposse.com/tiedohoandtr.html

http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/119/1500/=nh8avo

L track

For our (non-RV) home built, we're using these:

http://www.uscargocontrol.com/Ratch...ystems/Anchor-Point-Tie-Down-Kit-w-Round-Base

Tom Delaney said:

Happy Holiday!

Since I weigh in at 160 lbs I will need ballast in the baggage compartment when solo. This got me thinking about securing ballast, luggage etc.

Any thoughts or examples?

I came up with these after searching the forums:

http://www.vansaircraft.com/cgi-bin...48957-402-63&browse=airframe&product=tie-down

http://pitposse.com/tiedohoandtr.html

http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/119/1500/=nh8avo

Click to expand...

G'day TOM, - sorry, I don't understand, I thought the lighter the aircraft (& contents) the better ( I weigh 70kg =154 lbs), - or is this & weight & balance problem? Cheers, DEAN...

1050lbs is only a limit during some initial test flights but the ballast should be secured in the passenger seat instead of the baggage area to keep the C.G. as much forward as possible.

PAP F0-2:
Ballast:
Depending upon the empty weight of the aircraft and the weight of the test pilot, it may be necessary to carry some sort of ballast to get the total weight up to 1050 lb. Ballast must be properly restrained so as to stay in place during the entire flight. Unrestrained ballast is extremely dangerous because it could foul the controls and would, in the event of a sudden deceleration, become a projectile. A Blitz brand five gallon red plastic gasoline container (the kind with two molded-in handles, one on the top and one on the side) filled with water and secured in the passenger seat using the lap, crotch, and shoulder belts makes a safe, easy way to carry ballast. Except for the case of a very light aircraft and pilot weighing less than 150 lb a single container of water will be sufficient to bring the total weight of aircraft, fuel, pilot, and ballast to 1050 lb.

Tie Downs

These were originally designed for the RV-10, but would work for just about anything.

http://www.aircraftersllc.com/products.html

Look at the third product down.

Flying solo in the RV-12 does not require ballast in the baggage compartment (or anywhere). In fact, a RV-12 with a lightweight pilot and full fuel and 50 pounds of baggage will exceed the aft CG limit. An Excel spreadsheet for calculating the RV-12 weight and balance can be downloaded here:https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7ZTG2VpCuDRYWU0MzZjYTQtYmJlNy00YTY1LWEzNjktNTU3ZTQyNzUxMzg0/edit?usp=sharing
CTRL-S will save it to your computer. Change only the data in the yellow cells. It is fun to change the various weights to see the affect on CG.
Joe Gores

Thanks for straightening me out I incorrectly set up a W&B which led to my incorrect assumption.

So now I have some ideas on luggage tie-downs so thanks for the suggestions.

How about making your own? I made tie down rings for my RV6 and RV8 with some .063 and short hinge sections. Make half circle pieces of .063 about 1.75" radius and cut a ~1 inch hole with a hole saw. On the bottom (flat side) attach an appropriate length of aircraft hinge material that you'll rivet to the baggage floor or side wall. I can take a picture and send it to you if you want, but I think you get the idea. Dimensions may not be accurate - I'm not at the hangar, but something that is easily figured out. If you start with a round piece of Al(.063) of the right size, you cut it in half, and you have two tie down rings. I'll have these in my RV14 also....

W&B

Mich48041 said:

Flying solo in the RV-12 does not require ballast in the baggage compartment (or anywhere). In fact, a RV-12 with a lightweight pilot and full fuel and 50 pounds of baggage will exceed the aft CG limit. An Excel spreadsheet for calculating the RV-12 weight and balance can be downloaded here:https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7ZTG2VpCuDRYWU0MzZjYTQtYmJlNy00YTY1LWEzNjktNTU3ZTQyNzUxMzg0/edit?usp=sharing
CTRL-S will save it to your computer. Change only the data in the yellow cells. It is fun to change the various weights to see the affect on CG.
Joe Gores

Click to expand...

THANKS for that pointer, JOE.... Cheers, DEAN....

Roll your own baggage tie downs

Resurrecting older post with pics. Decided to make my own. I liked the hinge idea, but wanted something thicker than .063 hinges for the hooks. So, made hook tie down out of 1//8" aluminum and attached to hinge. Now it will fold down over carpet, OR I can remove pin and take out completely leaving the attached portion of hinge under carpet.