Return-Path: Received: from ddi.digital.net ([198.69.104.2]) by truman.olsusa.com (Post.Office MTA v3.1.2 release (PO203-101c) ID# 0-44819U2500L250S0) with ESMTP id AAA22434 for ; Tue, 17 Nov 1998 16:37:03 -0500 Received: from john (max-roc4-19.digital.net [204.215.233.19]) by ddi.digital.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with SMTP id QAA15088 for ; Tue, 17 Nov 1998 16:37:17 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <3.0.3.32.19981117162935.0071d488@mail.digital.net> Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1998 16:29:35 -0500 To: lancair.list@olsusa.com From: John Cooper Subject: Aircraft Jacks X-Mailing-List: lancair.list@olsusa.com Mime-Version: 1.0 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> << Lancair Builders' Mail List >> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >> Guess I'll add my 2 cents worth as well... As Bob Chesley mentioned, the 2" square jack pads in the plans are insufficient. In my case, I got around that as follows: First, I drilled and tapped the two jack pads for 5/16" AN bolts. Then I made up two pieces of wood about 4"x6" with some rubbery material on top so as not to mar the finish on the belly. Near one end of each pad I drilled a clearance hole for a 5/16" bolt, then screwed them to the belly so that the pads extended aft, until they are underneath the center spar. Then, I got me a 2x4 which would span from pad to pad, gooped it up with flox on each end, and glued it up underneath to the two pads. The flox filled up the wedge-shaped gaps due to the angle of the pads on the belly. When the whole thing was set up, I then had a jacking fixture which would support the aircraft underneath the main spar, and only use the "jack pads" as locating holes only. Also, I have countersunk a couple of 1.5" (approx) holes in the bottom of the 2x4 at each end to accept the bottle jacks and keep them from slipping out of position. Being a Southerner, I also set my bottle jacks on concrete blocks just like the ole' pickup truck out in the front yard . Be sure to use a 2x8 on top of the concrete blocks. At the back end of the ship, I had a weld shop make me a 3/8" nutplate, which I floxed into the tail cone as a tiedown point. I have a big weight on rollers that I can hook up there to hold the tail down.