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Storing Cub Outdoors

fishingh

Registered User
Whiteshell Manitoba
Looking for some tips on storing my cub outdoors, spring summer and fall months it'll be on floats on my dock, winter it'll be on the lake on skis also at my dock. Im in a provincial park and building regulations are tight, no chance id ever be allowed to build a hangar on or near the water. I have a windshield cover, wing covers, etc. I plan to find a way to get the floats up and out of the water once I sort the docking situation out, some sort of lift system.

Is there anything I can do to protect the fabric? UV protectants? I live where I store the plane so its easy for me to keep an eye on it.

Any input is appreciated.
 
I have access to a 172 on floats. It’s parked at a place that has a floating dock that has a loft and a turn table. I can do the run up with it sitting out of the water and then with a remote lower the plane into the water. When I come back I just pull onto the turn table and push the button and it raises it out of the water. Once it’s all the way up it can be turned around so it’s ready to go back out. It’s a grave steel tube dock so it’s secure in high winds.
 
Do you have photos or the company that makes it? been thinking of exactly this and was wondering how my welder buddy could build one...
 
The company who built it was Kropf industrial. Out of Parrysound on. This guy had been the owner and now his kids run it. I’ll try to get pictures. There number is 1 (705) 378-2453 ask for Darin Kropf.
 
you can get a cover for the fuse as well but its a pain. Properly painted fabric will last many years outdoors. Relatively few planes live in hangars up here and the only time they get covers is in the winter. As said above, pull the covers before a wind storm, or get vented covers and have them secured well.
 
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You have to put it into a photo app or website like Flickr then take the link from that and post it, at least that's how I've always done it, kind of a pain in the ass.
 
If you do not plan on flying it I would leave covers off the plane. One little bit of sand on the windshield cover will scratch the piss out of it over a winter. I have seen lots of paint/fabric damage from covers with the wind comes up. I only use wing covers if my plane is outside and I plan to fly.
DENNY
 
If you do not plan on flying it I would leave covers off the plane. One little bit of sand on the windshield cover will scratch the piss out of it over a winter. I have seen lots of paint/fabric damage from covers with the wind comes up. I only use wing covers if my plane is outside and I plan to fly.
DENNY

if I am leaving for any period of time where i, or someone won’t be able to keep an eye on the plane it will move to a hangar. Covers will be off in the wind for sure.
 
Don't let anyone who doesn't know Cubs sweep the wings. A dropped broom will flatten ribs very quickly, and guys like to drop brooms to break up crusty snow. I won't use tail gust locks and I never use interior gust locks. Get some aileron-flap locks from Burl's and let the tailfeathers float as they will.
 
I'm in the group that believes covers can do more harm then good, unless your flying in the winter I wouldn't bother with covers. my 12 has been outside for many years , atleast half of the 31 years on the fabric maybe even much more and during my ownership its spent an entire summer tied to a dock floating in the lake because my slipway got high and dry while I was out of town for a month and the water level dropped a few feet. only spot on my plane starting to show its 30+ yr age is the paint cracking on the tail surfaces which is no surprise they take a beating. keep it well tied up , gust locks in place, pump floats regularly and keep the snow off it. do that and chances are you wont have any trouble , most cubs live outside all there life they are pretty tough with a little care.

Edit, stewart posted while I was typing, he makes a good point on letting the elevator ride it out, I also do this or during the winter like right now I tie the stick ahead so the snow slides off the elevator, but I store the plane where wind cant get at it from behind.
 
I'm in the group that believes covers can do more harm then good, unless your flying in the winter I wouldn't bother with covers. my 12 has been outside for many years , atleast half of the 31 years on the fabric maybe even much more and during my ownership its spent an entire summer tied to a dock floating in the lake because my slipway got high and dry while I was out of town for a month and the water level dropped a few feet. only spot on my plane starting to show its 30+ yr age is the paint cracking on the tail surfaces which is no surprise they take a beating. keep it well tied up , gust locks in place, pump floats regularly and keep the snow off it. do that and chances are you wont have any trouble , most cubs live outside all there life they are pretty tough with a little care.

Edit, stewart posted while I was typing, he makes a good point on letting the elevator ride it out, I also do this or during the winter like right now I tie the stick ahead so the snow slides off the elevator, but I store the plane where wind cant get at it from behind.

We definitely have winter, covers are pretty mandatory with the frost we’ve had recently, once we get set into winter it shouldn’t be too bad.
 
I parked outside here in Alaska for 25 years. In reflection I’d say snow isn’t hard to manage, covers are a pain in the butt, although a necessary one to maintain flight readiness, and the big peril, especially for Cubs is wind. If your plane is exposed to winds make sure it’s facing it, not taking it from behind. I’ve watched several Cub struts fold. That’ll ruin your day.
 
I parked outside here in Alaska for 25 years. In reflection I’d say snow isn’t hard to manage, covers are a pain in the butt, although a necessary one to maintain flight readiness, and the big peril, especially for Cubs is wind. If your plane is exposed to winds make sure it’s facing it, not taking it from behind. I’ve watched several Cub struts fold. That’ll ruin your day.

I’m in a bay, perpendicular to the wind direction if we ever get it, it needs to be a perfect north wind coming into our bay, and in that instance it’ll be a strong direct crosswind to where it’s parked. I hope that’s okay.
 
The biggest things that contribute to the safety of parking an airplane outside are:

Location of tiedown relative to wind

type of tiedowns used

and, willingness and ability of the owner/operator to actually go out during storms and tend/care for the airplane and tiedowns.

MTV
 
Funny to see this thread timing wise. Wind is gusting over 40kt and truck is just warming up so I can go check my plane. Its parked for the winter and I have a complete set of Bruce's custom covers on it. I have been happy with the fit, well see about any movement in this wind.

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Sweep the snow.

Just sunlight will cause adhesion to the wing if you leave some snow on.

The next snow it will be more difficult to remove the new snow as it interlocks with the old snow, so it has a little more left on.

Pretty soon you will have pounds of snow on the wings.

X-wind is not bad on the plane, but if possible run two tie down ropes at angles. If you can, make room to park a vehicle on the wind side of the plane. We used to park school busses in front of our planes on storms to block winds. Depending on your gear, a pickup with canopy is a great wind break also.

One last thought, do they allow boats on the lake? Make a large catamaran with a 10' high opening, 40' between the hulls and park it over your plane.
 
Funny to see this thread timing wise. Wind is gusting over 40kt and truck is just warming up so I can go check my plane. Its parked for the winter and I have a complete set of Bruce's custom covers on it. I have been happy with the fit, well see about any movement in this wind.

I have a set of those Bruce's custom covers on my plane and you can tell they were made by a guy in California. Go with the Alaska Wing Covers with spoilers and mesh venting. Those bruce's covers with the crappy straps and buckles can never get or stay tight enough and mine don't have a strap keeping the two covers together so they slide off the end of the wing. The bungees on the Alaska covers are way better.

https://www.alaskawingcovers.com/

*edit* Sorry to knock on your covers, if they work for you then great. I've just had a very bad experience with the Bruce's and those stupid flat strap beating my plane half to death. If they work for you then by all means disregard my overly opinionated blovating.
 
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Every wing cover I've had grows and shrinks on different days. Some days I can't reach the wing roots and other days I have 6" of extra cover and have to fold them back over themselves at the wing roots. They grow in width, too. Shock cords take it up but one day they're tight and the next day they're baggy. Get them wet and it's worse. The ones that fit best are new ones. They all lose a little shape with time.

Also, think hard about any windscreen cover especially if you have any dust in the air. They can scuff a windscreen very badly even in light winds. A thermos of hot water makes a good defroster. Wing covers will wear through paint on contact points, too, given time.
 
Sweep the snow.

Just sunlight will cause adhesion to the wing if you leave some snow on.

The next snow it will be more difficult to remove the new snow as it interlocks with the old snow, so it has a little more left on.

Pretty soon you will have pounds of snow on the wings.

X-wind is not bad on the plane, but if possible run two tie down ropes at angles. If you can, make room to park a vehicle on the wind side of the plane. We used to park school busses in front of our planes on storms to block winds. Depending on your gear, a pickup with canopy is a great wind break also.

One last thought, do they allow boats on the lake? Make a large catamaran with a 10' high opening, 40' between the hulls and park it over your plane.

2 tie downs per wing you mean? My dock will be on the windward side of the plane, our water is super low so its probably close to 40"above the ice this year.

Yes they allow boats, you're allowed to have dock cover 25% of your lot frontage, so people will build a floating dock and put a motor on it and call it a barge to get around this rule, I don't think id get away with a 40' wide one though.... haha
 
My hangar is an open affair with no heat of power. It does keep most of the wind and sun off the airplane, though.

I leave my wing covers on all winter, inside the hangar. Otherwise the ravens use the hangar for R&R and peck holes in my wings.
 
My hangar is an open affair with no heat of power. It does keep most of the wind and sun off the airplane, though.

I leave my wing covers on all winter, inside the hangar. Otherwise the ravens use the hangar for R&R and peck holes in my wings.

Is that a Canadian made Hanger?
 
Have you registered this as an aero drome ? As I understand it if it’s registered as an airidrome it falls out side of most regulations, zoning , epa and building code.
 
I have a set of those Bruce's custom covers on my plane and you can tell they were made by a guy in California. Go with the Alaska Wing Covers with spoilers and mesh venting. Those bruce's covers with the crappy straps and buckles can never get or stay tight enough and mine don't have a strap keeping the two covers together so they slide off the end of the wing. The bungees on the Alaska covers are way better.

https://www.alaskawingcovers.com/

*edit* Sorry to knock on your covers, if they work for you then great. I've just had a very bad experience with the Bruce's and those stupid flat strap beating my plane half to death. If they work for you then by all means disregard my overly opinionated blovating.

Not offended at all. I've had them about 5 years and one of those cases of too late now...already bought them and they were $$$$, so wont replace them again until I absolutely have too. Looking at them yesterday mesh on the trailing edge would be nice for sure, some wind was getting in there and inflating the covers on the wings somewhat. The flat straps do vibrate too..fingers crossed they have not damaged the underside of the wings yet.
 
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