On 08/06/2012 11:27 PM, Alan Carter wrote:
> I am thinking of using a trailer for my Tri Gear,
> I will need to winch the aircraft onto a trailer, nose first.
Why would you want to trailer it nose first? This has several disadvantages:
1) The weight of the airplane is on the nose. Consequently, the axle of
the trailer needs do be near the front of the trailer, which makes
manouvring on the road awkward.
2) When unloading the aircraft from the trailer, you need to hold the
weight of the airplane, if you let go inadvertently you will get a
tailstrike (the airplane will tip over on its tail easily, especially
when the airplane is tilted backwards), and you also constantly need to
keep the nosewheel from castering into reverse while it is moving
"downhill in reverse" from the trailer.
3) You will need a nosewheel track all the way to the front of the
trailer. This will make it nearly impossible to use a self-tilting
trailer, and thus you will need some sort of a ramp.
4) If you have wheel fairings, they will probably hit the ground during
unloading, due to the angle of the airplane.
I have the airplane tail first on the trailer. The trailer tilts
automatically by the shift of the weight of the airplane, no ramps
needed. To tow the aircraft onto the trailer, I have made two
attachement points near the main gear. (I figure the airplane has it
strongest points near the main gear). By adjusting the lenght of each
"leg" of the resulting "V"-cable, I have made the aircraft to follow the
short track onto the trailer precisely while winching.
Frans
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