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question re; moving wings

Desert Rat

Well Known Member
Hey guys- I just bought a used rv7 wing & empennage kit. Been looking for a while, and turns out this one was only about 5 miles from my house.

The wings are pretty much done with the exception of a skin on one which is clecoed on. The are currently standing up in a sling style rack that's fine for the garage, but not sturdy enough for transport.

Does anybody see a problem with just removing the one skin, wrapping these in moving blankets burrito style and laying them flat on the floor of a box trailer for the short drive?
 
Wings need cushioning

I moved my completed wings, one at a time, 250 miles, laid down flat on a box trailer BUT I put a 4 inch thick foam bed mattress underneath first. Also used padded removalist blankets over and under, and it was all strapped down. There was no damage at all.
A box trailer will most likely have harsh leaf springs and no shock absorbers, so one or two bumps could cause unnecessary damage, even over a short distance. So I suggest a bit thicker cushioning and make sure there is absolutely no chance of any metal-metal contact. I agree with removing the clecoed skins for transport so the clecoes don't get bent over.
Paul.
 
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I moved mine in the wing rack (home to airport about 20 miles) strapped securely to the side of the big box truck I rented, with lots of padding and some other stuff in the same truck. But I've also moved them (home to storage unit) lying flat on the floor of the truck - but only one at a time as the chord is such that you'll have hard time laying them side-by-side and you'll need a really long truck to put them end-to-end. (Wheel wells in truck limit side-side space).
 
I moved mine in the wing rack (home to airport about 20 miles) strapped securely to the side of the big box truck I rented, with lots of padding and some other stuff in the same truck. But I've also moved them (home to storage unit) lying flat on the floor of the truck - but only one at a time as the chord is such that you'll have hard time laying them side-by-side and you'll need a really long truck to put them end-to-end. (Wheel wells in truck limit side-side space).

5 mile trip - he can easily do two trips...:)
 
The advice I got, and easily moved two sets of wings 2,000 miles each, was to put the wings vertically, leading edge down. Under the leading edges I had a couple of layers of insulating foam, the kind with foil on one side.

Leading edges are really, really stout compared to the rest of the wing for moving...

Ed
 
I used the wing cradle on casters for the move....50 miles in a U-Haul box van. Ratchet straps to secure the cradle to van's interior, pad liberally with moving blankets. Don't overthink it.
 
I moved my wings the way you described. I used pillows over the top with a ratchet strap that was tight enough to prevent moving, but lose enough to prevent damage. Snug, but not tight. It worked fine.
 
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