Author Topic: I need help (Read 3364 times)

Doug Moon · « **on:** April 20, 2011, 05:45:00 PM »

I have a pickup.

I have a hard bed cover as well.

I am trying to figure out the best way to carry my plane in the bed. What kind of carrier should I build.

I worry that the ride is rough enough over the rear axle that it could bounce it around pretty good.

Can you guys help me out with some ideas or ways that you all do it?

Thanks

Randy Powell · « **Reply #1 on:** April 20, 2011, 05:54:20 PM »

I used to do this. I built a plywood carrier that supported the wings and fuse pretty rigidly but the actual areas where the plane met the rack were padded with foam and a soft cloth cover. I also made what my wife insisted on calling "cozies" for the wings and stab (padded covers). The plane was allowed to bob around a bit in the rack as a consequence but I never had any plane damage as a result. But that pickup never had to haul much so there were no foreign materials floating around the bed either. I rigidly locked down my fuel and flight box in the back end as well.

Pat Johnston uses a pickup with a shell and hangs the planes from the roof of the shell. Says they get less bounce that way. Could be.

peabody · « **Reply #2 on:** April 20, 2011, 05:54:47 PM »

Winfred built a shelf for a guy with a pick-up....a piece of 1/2" ply spanned the bed and he made nifty little gizmos that the wheels sat in, then he strapped a bungie across them to keep the plane from hopping out.

Glenn (Gravitywell) Reach · « **Reply #3 on:** April 20, 2011, 06:03:25 PM »

I have a hard shell cover for the back of my pick-up and all I do is take old knee high socks, fill them with sand, put the plane in the back and put the socks over the wheels. They never go anywhere and all it costs is a trip to the grandkids sand box and raiding my sock drawer!

James Mills · « **Reply #4 on:** April 20, 2011, 07:41:38 PM »

Doug,

My brother in law and I built one for the back of his blazer using PVC pipe with the foam insulation that fits over the pipe to cushion the planes, works very well.

James

Larry Cunningham · « **Reply #5 on:** April 20, 2011, 08:10:22 PM »

You, sir, need a new Dodge Ram 3500 4-door dually pickup with the extra long bed, FWD and V10
gasoline engine. Let the ship ride in the back seat, and make your friends ride in the rumble
seats you install in the bed. It'll be good for them, a little fresh air and sunshine. Or even
a little rain, to toughen them up (or soften them up prior to competition) and instill some humility
and gratitude in them. Also, make them split the gasoline.

L.

"I find that the further I go back, the better things were, whether they happened or not." -Mark Twain

Steve Hines · « **Reply #6 on:** April 20, 2011, 08:16:00 PM »

1/2 inch pvc with 3/4 inch refrigation insulation is great. Ref is much softer and you can get in different thickness. Just remember AC guys use outside of the pipe, Plumber's use inside. 1/2 = 3/4, 3/4 = 7/8 Dont think they sell this at Home Depot, will have to get a hvac to get this and the glue for you.

Steve Helmick · « **Reply #7 on:** April 20, 2011, 08:58:52 PM »

The pic is of the rack I used in my '97 GMC 4x4. It worked great and I liked it a lot. Held 3 planes, at least two were .60 sized (never had more than two), and would allow something like a Ringmaster or Barnstormer under the bottom set of wing supports, or allow a sunshade to slide under. The two rear pieces of PVC pipe slip-fit, and were used to push/pull the rack forward to the front of the box (6' box). Worked well, never a damaged plane. The rack had to be put in the back of the box, then loaded with planes (spans greater than rear hatch on canopy), pushed forward, and aft stuff loaded. I put a cargo bar across behind the planes to let me load an ice chest and flight boxes, etc., adjacent to the tailgate. That allowed me to access cold drinks on long drives, and emergency equipment in case of roadside issues, without unloading airplanes on the shoulder of the highway.

My current truck is a Toyota Tacoma 4x4 "Access Cab" (fake seat in back of cab...but I can lean the driver's seat back and take a nap) and 6' bed. I have a cab-height canopy on it....a raised roof would be better for planes but worse for the canoe. Compromises. I made a real basic shelf for the back, with 1x4's across the bed rails and part of a sheet of 3/8" ply. A sheet of "waffle cut" foam rubber padding, with some extra chunks of foam block the wheels into place. No problems, tho the tail lifts sometimes on corners. Simple to fix, if it matters to you. Properly padded, it's a safe ride, but there's not enough room for 3 or 4 planes. I have carried two .60 sized planes (to Edmonton...1,000 miles) in it, but did it by taking the LG off both and sandwiching them in foam rubber mattress pads. I have had thoughts about making a "dropped" shelf, perhaps with a second shelf. Or a shelf that slopes from side to side, with a second shelf. It kinda depends on the size of planes you like, and how many events you fly. On my trip to Clovis last October, I put the SV-11 on the shelf and the profile F-Twister on top of the camp chairs on the lower level, sitting on more foam. Both planes came through alright, 2,700-odd miles, including some "vigorous" driving.

John Witt · « **Reply #8 on:** April 20, 2011, 09:31:42 PM »

I did what Ty did and got a mini van (Odyssey). With the second row seats out, and the back seats up, all the hard stuff goes behind the back seat and the planes go in the middle. Actually I'm just being one of Howard's groupies, he has an Ody as well.

John

Doug Moon · « **Reply #9 on:** April 20, 2011, 10:46:10 PM »

These are some very good ideas.

Thanks and keep em coming.

wwwarbird · « **Reply #10 on:** April 20, 2011, 10:59:36 PM »

The PVC rack like Steve shows above is a great way to go, I know a quite few guys using that exact setup.

I've made some of the same basic type out of wood, the one in these photos I custom made to fit in my Honda Element. I've got the wings sitting on sturdy dowels with foam pipe insulation on them for padding. I also add 2" wide elastic straps attached to the rack at the wing L/E and have hooks on the T/E end of the dowel to keep the planes secure. You can measure and custom make the rack to fit whatever vehicle you're dealing with. Each spring I take my back seats out and this rack stays in there all through the flying season. You can pretty drive like Mario with this setup. Just watch out with a pickup so the entire rack loaded with your planes doesn't go sliding around. A rubber mat might help that.

Derek Barry · « **Reply #11 on:** April 21, 2011, 04:30:28 AM »

If it were for local trips I would say that the sand in the socks idea is pretty good. This is also assuming that you are talking about ONE plane. For long trips I would build a box. My travel box, even though it was for a take apart, was very simple. The plane took up most of the room and I filled the rest with soft foam. I used, what I call egg-crate foam, it looks like it has hundreds of fingers on one side...The parts were wrapped in bubble wrap too, I still have little dots all over my plane

Derek

Matt Colan · « **Reply #12 on:** April 21, 2011, 07:32:28 AM »

We bought ourselves a trailer last year and now when we go to contests, we put the planes in there. What we did was get a couple large sheets of pink foam then cut them up, and siliconed two pieces of the foam perpendicular to a base of the same foam. Then we made cutouts in the two pieces of foam standing up for the wings to sit in, and we put the planes in there. We also burned a hole in the bottom piece of foam for the spinner to slide into. When we go to leave, we screw down the foam transports into the trailer to prevent them from moving, and the planes go nowhere when we go to contests. They stay in the same spot they were in.

PerttiMe · « **Reply #13 on:** April 21, 2011, 08:31:00 AM »

Unless you want something "nice", the insulation foam box should work. Pink or blue foam probably. White foam is often a bit crumbly if you don't cover it with something. If you don't want it airplane size, make cutouts for wings and tail, maybe even nose.

If you like to recycle, find a box shaped piece of packing foam from somebodys new TV or washing machine...

Geoff Goodworth · « **Reply #14 on:** April 21, 2011, 10:31:15 PM »

Don't know whether you have them but in Oz, a lot of fruit and veg is packed in polystyrene foam boxes.

I've just made cutouts for wing and fuselage and throw a blanket over the lot.

Disposing of the foam boxes are a nuisance for the retailers so they are happy to see them recycled.

Robert Schroeder · « **Reply #15 on:** April 22, 2011, 08:50:42 PM »

Alan Brickhouse showed me a way to hold planes in a minivan that I adapted to a pickup. Use a vertical piece of foam cut to fit between the sides fairly tightly. Use load locks front and rear to ensure it doesn't move. cut out on the top edge the width of the wing plus the thickness of the foam used to cushion the wing. Place something soft on the floor behind the foam to place the outboard wing onto. Slide the plane leadouts first into the cushion and set the outboard wing onto the floor of the pickup. I've used this in a 1500 Dodge to and from Ohio to Florida and back, along with using it on the minivan one way this year. I also use it every time I fly, with no damage yet!

Bob

Norm Faith Jr. · « **Reply #16 on:** April 22, 2011, 09:50:46 PM »

I believe guys...Doug has a "Hard Shell Bed Cover," I.E. like the hood of a car, only flat. Probably it has pneumatic open/close devices. If so...my answer is a large block of foam rubber, (height compatible with the cover) cut "Xs,' large enough, yet small enough for the gear to push down snugly into, allowing the ship to sit on the foam. "Wah-la," problem solved.

Norm

Robert Schroeder · « **Reply #17 on:** April 23, 2011, 08:32:11 AM »

Oops!

Bob

John Jordan · « **Reply #18 on:** April 23, 2011, 05:46:41 PM »

Hi Doug I made mine out of 1/2 inch pvc with foam pipe insulation it will hold two airplanes one on top of the other full size stunters rabe bearcat & time machine as examples . Lay out frame to fit your truck bed set plane inside lay out supports for first plane hold 2nd plane over top and figure out where supports go make these removable. add pipe ins as needed couple of rubber bands tada. I can slide mine out or in the bed loaded no problem. Hope this helps you Thanks John Jordan

Balsa Butcher · « **Reply #19 on:** April 23, 2011, 07:06:09 PM »

Doug: this is the design that works for me and a few others who have duplicated it. It offers good security and is very versatile. The first pic is the actual rack with cross bar and spacer shown. The second pic is of the rack set up for 3 airplanes. Due to the ability to move or remove the cross bars I have had as many as 4 airplanes in it. With only one airplane I remove all but one pair of cross bars and pile on the spacers. The model will ride high and I can store items underneath. Next pic is the rack in my 2004 Ford Explorer empty, then loaded.

The close up shows how the tail (or nose wheel as the case may be) is secured. Two rubber bands allow the airplane to bounce to absorb shock but not shift on the rack. In a camper shell you could build a larger rack as there will be more room. I would extend out the base to a length greater than your largest airplane and after loading, push it up against the cab so it won't shift and protect the wing if it does. Anyway, that's the basic idea, it may work for you.

Joseph Patterson · « **Reply #20 on:** April 24, 2011, 07:14:35 PM »

Doug, My vote is for the circle pilot's (Norm Faith) foam rubber. Simple and effective. Now if somebody will donate me a long w.b. bed cover I'll be glad to use the foam rubber method on my next long contest trip! Just joshing!
Doug

john e. holliday · « **Reply #21 on:** April 27, 2011, 07:56:53 AM »

Wellthe old DOC used a trailer one year to haul everything. Now I just stack/put all the heavy stuff in with a blanket on top. Then use foam and blankets to protect the planes from each other, with the heavy planes on the bottom.