WKTaylor
Well-known member
- Sep 24, 2001
- 4,110
Confused in the Midwest...
I was on the freeway driving-along at 80-MPH as usual... when I came upon a PU truck hauling a long trailer with an AG plane [Piper Pawnee?] doing roughly 70-MPH. That day we had gusting quartering-cross winds from the RT-Front up to ~25-MPH and it was uncomfortable. Obviously... for a flyable aircraft... trailering a few hundred miles seems stupid... so I assumed the aircraft was non-flyable and/or needed to travel a really long distance.
The fuselage was on its main landing gear with the tail wheel elevated ~4-ft [~level attitude], which allowed the wings to be stacked under the aft fuselage... with supports, tiedowns and visible padding. Also, the prop had been removed [not visible]. Otherwise the fuselage had the horizontal stabs and elevators/rudder installed.
What struck me as very odd was that I was NOT expecting the fuselage to be loaded backwards on the trailer... opposite to the rolling direction... for a bunch of reasons.
IF the fuselage had been pointed forward the aerodynamics would have been optimized to the 'normal' flight-neutral orientation. Also the heavy engine forward would benefit trailering center-of-gravity. AND the V-Stab/rudder might tend to be stabilizing in normal trailering. HENCE... fuselage-forward seemed more logical for trailering stability and minimizing air-loads on the stabs and elevator/rudder, than the 'backwards' loading. Right??? Also, as it was oriented, I noted that the trailing edges of the elevators/rudders [which had mechanical/external gust-locks in place] were visibly shaking/buffeting... which REALLY bugged me.
The only logical reasons for loading the aircraft backwards on the trailer seemed to be quick on-off loading: wings first; then lift the tailwheel over the wings while rolling the fuselage backwards into position. AND reverse the process for off-loading.
But the forward orientation [NOT DONE], still seems to be a safer over-all loading... with lower potential for damage, less drag, less buffet, etc... for a long trip. I really wanted to ask the driver... WHY??? but I just gawked passing-by.
Since I've rarely trailered GA Acft, this all seemed wrong. Any comments/observations/humor???
Regards, Wil Taylor
o Trust - But Verify!
o We believe to be true what we prefer to be true. [Unknown]
o For those who believe, no proof is required; for those who cannot believe, no proof is possible. [variation,Stuart Chase]
o Unfortunately, in science what You 'believe' is irrelevant. ["Orion", Homebuiltairplanes.com forum]
I was on the freeway driving-along at 80-MPH as usual... when I came upon a PU truck hauling a long trailer with an AG plane [Piper Pawnee?] doing roughly 70-MPH. That day we had gusting quartering-cross winds from the RT-Front up to ~25-MPH and it was uncomfortable. Obviously... for a flyable aircraft... trailering a few hundred miles seems stupid... so I assumed the aircraft was non-flyable and/or needed to travel a really long distance.
The fuselage was on its main landing gear with the tail wheel elevated ~4-ft [~level attitude], which allowed the wings to be stacked under the aft fuselage... with supports, tiedowns and visible padding. Also, the prop had been removed [not visible]. Otherwise the fuselage had the horizontal stabs and elevators/rudder installed.
What struck me as very odd was that I was NOT expecting the fuselage to be loaded backwards on the trailer... opposite to the rolling direction... for a bunch of reasons.
IF the fuselage had been pointed forward the aerodynamics would have been optimized to the 'normal' flight-neutral orientation. Also the heavy engine forward would benefit trailering center-of-gravity. AND the V-Stab/rudder might tend to be stabilizing in normal trailering. HENCE... fuselage-forward seemed more logical for trailering stability and minimizing air-loads on the stabs and elevator/rudder, than the 'backwards' loading. Right??? Also, as it was oriented, I noted that the trailing edges of the elevators/rudders [which had mechanical/external gust-locks in place] were visibly shaking/buffeting... which REALLY bugged me.
The only logical reasons for loading the aircraft backwards on the trailer seemed to be quick on-off loading: wings first; then lift the tailwheel over the wings while rolling the fuselage backwards into position. AND reverse the process for off-loading.
But the forward orientation [NOT DONE], still seems to be a safer over-all loading... with lower potential for damage, less drag, less buffet, etc... for a long trip. I really wanted to ask the driver... WHY??? but I just gawked passing-by.
Since I've rarely trailered GA Acft, this all seemed wrong. Any comments/observations/humor???
Regards, Wil Taylor
o Trust - But Verify!
o We believe to be true what we prefer to be true. [Unknown]
o For those who believe, no proof is required; for those who cannot believe, no proof is possible. [variation,Stuart Chase]
o Unfortunately, in science what You 'believe' is irrelevant. ["Orion", Homebuiltairplanes.com forum]