• If You Are Having Trouble Logging In with Your Old Username and Password, Please use this Forgot Your Password link to get re-established.
  • Hey! Be sure to login or register!

Lifting Eyes

It is nigh impossible to accomplish lift eye installation with wings on. Maybe there is a trick out there?
 
I agree with Dave, there are four eyes on these airplanes, at the wing attach points.

But $$ fixes everything

MTV
 
All most of us have is two. A couple of us know a plane that had one rip out at about 50' AGL while being lifted by a helicopter. That plane got returned to the ground hanging on one eye. Tense moment for that owner as he was standing under it to support the low wingtip as they set it down.
 
Stewart,

The 206 you are referring to had a missile nut without a substantial washer holding the lifting eye. If the lifting eye was installed correctly it would have worked as designed.
 
I had 4 on my 185 ...2 is just to spooky ..but I've seen it done a lot.
 
I’ve seen a lot of gear changes on 185s and 180s, using all four. If you’re going to install them, do it the way Cessna spec’d, and that’s with four.

MTV
 
They can be changed with wings on, long extension with a crows foot, large area washer or the Cessna rectangular washer on the bottom of the carry thru. Spin it from the top until starts snugging up, then finish snug with crows foot.
 
Mine has four.

As I will never have it on floats I was going to remove them. But not if I have to take the wings off first. Bloody hell, that's too much.

I would love to see how the four hooks are used in practice if anyone has a photo, or two.
 
I've been lifting my 180 on the two factory lift rings for two decades. Plan to do it again this weekend. There's nothing spooky about it. Spooky is using a gear leg fixture and a Handyman. I'll take the boom truck every time!
 
I've lifted a porky late model 180 on and off of floats more times than I can count, always on the front lifting eyes. If you can't trust those eye bolts what bolts can you trust?
 
Pulled a 180 floating on bouys from the front lifting eyes all over a lake with a boat (slowly) and they held just fine
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1970.jpg
    IMG_1970.jpg
    244.4 KB · Views: 273
Last edited:
If you rig it to lift level with all 4, you find out the back ones aren't holding much. I think the back ones are to help set pitch. I use the front two for float changes but would use all 4 if I lifted it regularly and wanted to keep it level with the least effort.
 
When you are installing floats without any help you will know why there are four lifting eyes. I wouldn't even think of trying it with only two. On a 172 it will nearly balance with only two but not on a 180/185/206.
 
Eddie Foy said:
Where can I get a pair for my 180?
Click to expand...

You'll also need to have an overhead winch, block-n-tackle, chainfall, or whatever.
Dumb question, but....are you gonna put it on & off floats? Or pull the gear legs off?​
If it's just for hoisting the airplane for changing tires etc, seems like overkill.
I raise mine up one side at a time using an engine hoist and a nylon choker around the gear leg.
 
Less controllable may be more accurate then spooky. I only used mine for putting it on and off floats and using all 4 I found to be much easier. I built a frame to lift and set it right on the floats, I was doing it alone most of the time.
 
Last edited:
Cut me some slack. I have been an engineer for 45 years. I think I can handle it!


hotrod180 said:
You'll also need to have an overhead winch, block-n-tackle, chainfall, or whatever.
Dumb question, but....are you gonna put it on & off floats? Or pull the gear legs off?​
If it's just for hoisting the airplane for changing tires etc, seems like overkill.
I raise mine up one side at a time using an engine hoist and a nylon choker around the gear leg.
Click to expand...
 
I weighed my Cub with scale on an overhead hoist and a scale on the tail post. Works just fine as long as you use the proper moment arms.
 
I'm going to floats in a couple of weeks on a 206, would like to get a good data point with it on floats. Hopefully I can level it with the rigging and then use a plumb bob to measure to the firewall.
 
Eddie
Have you tried the salvage guys in Sutton and Copper Center AK. I can get you the numbers if you need them.
DENNY
 
You can post them here. Thanks. I would love to find a good used panel base. Avionics guys have butchered mine.

DENNY said:
Eddie
Have you tried the salvage guys in Sutton and Copper Center AK. I can get you the numbers if you need them.
DENNY
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S2D
C-180 skis
Replies
13
Views
4K
Dave Calkins
Dave Calkins
Alex Clark
PA-11 lifting eye??
Replies
11
Views
3K
Alex Clark
Alex Clark
Q
Lifting Eyes for J-3 Cub
2
Replies
39
Views
13K
Steve Pierce
Steve Pierce
S2D
1340 lifting eye
Replies
19
Views
6K
S2D
S2D
D.A.
Float lifting tabs
Replies
2
Views
947
D.A.
D.A.
Back
Top