New Plane Rack

[JHildreth]

     I had to conjure up a new plane rack design for my van, and I thought it might be of interest.  My new 60+ sized planes would not fit on my old one.  The picture shows what I came up with.  I haven't done a trial fit with three levels in the van as yet to size the lower-most posts, but I don't believe there will be a problem.  I have done a test fit with my SV-11 ARF on a two level configuration with no problem getting the plane in the van and on the second level of the rack.  The bottom level is limited to smaller planes due to the space taken up by the wheel wells.  I also have to decide how to fasten the rack to the van floor but still be removable.  I think some variation of the clamp system I used with the old rack that used J bolts to fasten to the seat latch hold-downs will work.

     My old rack is in the background.  It was configured for two planes only with the planes' wings crosswise to the van.  The planes were loaded in from the rear hatch.  I could not get a 60" wingspan threaded in from the hatch and onto the old rack.  The new rack holds the planes with the fuselages crosswise to the van, and I have been able to load the planes in through either the rear hatch or the side door.  The main drawback with this configuration is that the planes on top and the upper support frames must be removed in order to get to the lower planes.  I have tried several designs of the support frames (three are shown in the picture) and have decided that the design with the 45 degree drop ends work the best.  Since the frames will be removable, you can make different designs to work for specific planes.

Joe

     

[Gary Dowler]

     I had to conjure up a new plane rack design for my van, and I thought it might be of interest.  My new 60+ sized planes would not fit on my old one.  The picture shows what I came up with.  I haven't done a trial fit with three levels in the van as yet to size the lower-most posts, but I don't believe there will be a problem.  I have done a test fit with my SV-11 ARF on a two level configuration with no problem getting the plane in the van and on the second level of the rack.  The bottom level is limited to smaller planes due to the space taken up by the wheel wells.  I also have to decide how to fasten the rack to the van floor but still be removable.  I think some variation of the clamp system I used with the old rack that used J bolts to fasten to the seat latch hold-downs will work.

     My old rack is in the background.  It was configured for two planes only with the planes' wings crosswise to the van.  The planes were loaded in from the rear hatch.  I could not get a 60" wingspan threaded in from the hatch and onto the old rack.  The new rack holds the planes with the fuselages crosswise to the van, and I have been able to load the planes in through either the rear hatch or the side door.  The main drawback with this configuration is that the planes on top and the upper support frames must be removed in order to get to the lower planes.  I have tried several designs of the support frames (three are shown in the picture) and have decided that the design with the 45 degree drop ends work the best.  Since the frames will be removable, you can make different designs to work for specific planes.

Joe

   

That's cool. I might have to make something like that myself. Next year I'll be faced with fitting an SV-11 in my Subaru.

Gary

[john e. holliday]

If that rack has the wings front to rear, mount the rack to a ply base that will fit between wheel wells.  Then hopefully you can slide it back to get to the planes.   That is what I miss about the little Chevy 1/2 ton pick up I had many years ago.   But then I learned that I could haul more planes if all the support equipment was loaded first with the planes put in nose down and padding between them.   

[Thomas Smeltzer]

What are the dimensions of the new rack?
Thanks
Tom

[Gerald Arana]

How do you get the planes in it?

Jerry

[Ken Culbertson]

How do you get the planes in it?

Jerry

Why would you want to do that?

Ken

[Ken Culbertson]

     I had to conjure up a new plane rack design for my van, and I thought it might be of interest.  My new 60+ sized planes would not fit on my old one. 

Joe

   

Joe:
Did you ream out the fittings to keep them from being hard to remove?  This is really cool, however, a true Stunt flier would have bought a bigger van.  Since I already have one, I might just build one of these!

Ken

[Jim Mynes]

Same idea, different execution. Four airplanes barely fit under the Softopper®️, but I lose a foot of height due to the Decked®️ system.
The U shapes accommodate landing gear, and if I did it over I would angle them in toward the center maybe 15 degrees.
The legs are locked in by the eye bolts, not glued in. The legs can be changed out in the event a different airplane has to fit. Bottoms of the legs are tapered a little to ease assembly/disassembly of layers.
Believe it or not, there’s 35 feet of 1/2” pipe there, and 50 tees. Buy the tees and elbows in contractor packs of 10, much cheaper that way!