J-3 Cub Trucking (need some help and ideas)

[ATCT]

Hey Ya'll,
Long story short I'm truckin a J-3 cub 1,100 miles in a full size 26' rental truck.

What I'm looking for is ideas using 2x4's n such to build a makeshift rig for the wings and ideas on securing the fuselage itself inside the truck. (for those asking, UHaul 26' Box Truck). (gonna build these the morning we take the wings off, hoping to take only a few hours to get the aircraft apart and in the truck, on the road by late afternoon)

I was thinking of just putting cutting some 2x4's and simply putting it in a U shape and placing a old blanket/rags around the wood to protect the fabric/wing. The fuselage itself just take the prop off and strap her down the way she is (minus the wings, which will be mounted beside running fore/aft).

What I would REALLY love would someone to have some pictures or advice from a similar move! Thanks a bunch!

ATCT

 

[Steve Pierce]

Got a roll of undeveloped film of a J3 that a friend brought to Graham from New York in a U-Haul truck. He strapped the wings to the sides of the truck and tied the gear down to the floor.

 

[ATCT]

I guess that would work too! Didnt think of that one.

Clint

 

[behindpropellers]

i would fly it half way for ya.

 

[bob turner]

Six 2x4s. Four eye bolts - or better, U bolts. Four very long carriage bolts.

Use the eye bolts (u-bolts) and the original lift strut bolts to attach a 2x4 across the lift strut attachments. It will be quite solid when you draw them tight. I actually look for 2x3s for this step. Leave them long enough to go past leading and trailing edges. Drill some big holes for ropes.

With your remaining 2x4s make two clamps - a 2x4 above the spars at the butt rib, and a 2x4 below the spars. Envision the carriage bolts holding them solidly to the spars, then drill and install - usually quite close to the edge of the boards, and real close to the butt rib. Make these extend past lead and trail edges just like those at the strut attach.

Stand the wings up against the wall of the truck. Puffy side inboard, that way the 2x4s protect against the truck wall. Lash them down.

This works - same scenario took my J-3 1100 miles on the back of a 1959 Chevy pickup - 8'bed. Have done this with Super Cubs, and even Stinsons.

 

[12Geezer2]

Is it flyable and safe??? Get a ferry permit and pm me. Just got back from delivering a nice 160 supercub to Ca. Love these adventures and meeting cub folks.

 

[Steve Pierce]

If you choose to fly it or have it flown, stop in Graham. Hanger and apartment available for overnight and we can definitely talk Cubs over some good BBQ.

 

[Longwinglover]

ATCT,

Some good advice has already been offered here. My experience was trucking a Clipwing J3 from Charlotte, NC to Hartford, WI (south of OSH) in 1999.

For the wings we hung them in 18 - 24 inch wide carpet slings (3 per wing?). They were about 4 inches off the floor and we stuffed 6 inches of foam under the bottom (leading edges down) in case a sling gave way. The slings were attached to the upper sidewall rub strip with multiple self tapping screws. Did I say Multiple? How many can you can you get in an 18 inch width?? The wings were tied against the sides so they wouldn't swing out during turns.

The prop had to be removed as well as the horizontals for the fuselage to fit. A pillow was wedged between the crankshaft flange and the front of the truck box and the fuselage was secured with multiple cargo straps. We even ran two eyebolts through the floor under the cabane "V" to tie too so the fuselage wouldn't "bounce".

We had NO problems with movement of the parts during the drive and U-Haul was none the wiser to the screw holes we put into things.

Good luck!

John Scott

 

[flybynite]

We used the 6- 2X4s to make a cradle for the wings inside a 26' Uhaul for a PA-12. The engine was already off. Took off the tail feathers & tied the airframe off from the sidewall tiedowns so it wouldn't move. Only had to go about two hours, but it would have gone cross country. I have a few more pics available but will have to dig them out.

Wayne

 

[Gordon Misch]

Very good, Bob - I like simple!

 

[ATCT]

The other thing thats just come up in the brainstorm is the width of the horizontal/tailfeathers. Will it fit in the back of a 7.5 ft truck? Or will they have to be removed. (This is a stock J-3)

ATCT

 

[islandmonkey]

The width of the tail on my Supercub is 10' 6"

See:

http://supercub.eu/12.html

 

[Longwinglover]

ATCT,

As I said in my previous post, we removed the horizontal tail surfaces.

John Scott

 

[bob turner]

Take them off. You will be glad you did, because you can clean all that rust out of there, and really grease them up for reassembly. And you can pull the fuselage in tail first - lots easier, but you need one of those cable "come alongs". Mark everything for reassembly. Watch out for those tiny ferrules around the AN 3s that hold the wires.

 

[stearmann4]

Unfortunately, I can tell you exactly how to take a perfectly constructed J-3, pull the wings and tail off and secure it in a 32' moving van.

I'm overseas right now so I can't post any pictures, but here's the description:

1. Build cradles for the wings consisting of 2 x 4s and carpet to cradle the wings leading edge down.
2. Pull the tail off in it's entirety including the rudder.
3. Build a sturdy ramp with solid cross members to push the Cub fuselage up into the truck. Don't try to skimp with a couple of wood planks, it's scary and doesn't work. Don't ask me how I know that.
4. Drain the fuel and oil.
5. When you get the Cub to the top of your ramp, you'll need to let air out of the tires (at least 8.50s) to get it over the lip with sufficient clearance from the box ceiling.
6. Once the fuselage is in the truck chock all three wheels with 2 x 4s and them screw the wood to the wood floor of the truck.
7. Insert 2 eye bolts into the truck floor or the 2 x 4 chocks for each wheel and use automotive cargo straps and ratchet down all three wheels.
8. Load the wings into their cradle on the sides of the fuselage. Cover with thick blankets and use cargo straps to secure to the floor similiar to the fuselage set up.
9. We laid blankets o the floor near the door and laid stabilizers, ailerons, etc flat and layered with more blankets with more controls surfaces on top. The whole stack was gently duct taped into one unit and chocked to the floor.
10. Once everything is secured, take a good long while to look around trying to anticipate which components may come un-secured and slam into fabric.

I was surprised how much the plane bounced around on what I considered decent roads. When we unpacked the Cub, we found the wheels had completely jumped the chocks, but were held in place by the ratcheted cargo straps around the top of the tires. All in all, the plane sustained only some minor hangar rash which was easily repaired.

We found breaking down and loading is ideally a 3 man job.

Wish you success,

Mike-

 

[CubLite]

Anybody got any recommendations on hauling a cub on an open trailer? I was thinking about laying the wings flat on the floor, maybe building sort of a rack, if you will, with 2x4's to lay them on top of one another underneath the fuselage. I have measured them and think they will barely fit, but will have to block the tail up on something to to clear the wings on the floor. Tail surfaces, of course would be removed. Any thoughts anyone?

Pat

 

[6 short]

I helped a fellow pack a 2 place homebuilt for a trip from Illinois to California. This has been several years ago. They were driving an enclosed rental truck. We talked after his arrival and he said the only problem that they had was on a road that had tar strips that were just a slight distance different from the wheel base of the truck. He said the problem is that the truck suspension is designed for a much heavier load and was therefore too stiff. They would hit a strip with the front end and as the front suspension started to work the back end would hit a strip. He told me that even at low speed they couldn't get away from the beating. It was a problem I had not considered.

Pat

 

[Steve Pierce]

Pat, I have put the tail up on a stand that went all the way across the width of the trailer and the wings on foam rubber under the fuselage. Hauled them from as far away as Idaho without a scratch.

 

[6 short]

I understand, Steve. I have hauled some parts over long distances with very little preparation or support and got along just fine. I was not along for this trip so did not see what happened first hand. I have run trucks or trailers having a stiff suspension empty or with a light load and they do go down the road differently then when loaded. I thought I would put the experience out here with the homebuilt as something to consider. It surprised me. I had the main gear set in 2 x 6 "boxes" front and back and over the top of the tire then braced and screwed to the floor. I had a strap going over the tail wheel spring screwed to the floor. My idea was to use the planes suspension to give it a softer ride. The plane did arrive OK but the tail got loose after the strap pulled loose as a result of the jarring.

Pat

 

[behindpropellers]

Clint-

I think you are nuts for wanting to take you J-3 apart. Unless you have 2-3 people that have moved airplanes like this several times, chances are good that you will do some damage. Whats your budget to move this thing? Your MPG for the J-3 can't be much less than the truck, then add truck rental, hotel, stuff to buy to build your transport cradles, food and lodging...?? To add to this, there is a good chance you will find little things you want to fix while it is apart. Once you fix something...you will find more...and before you know it you will be restoring the whole plane.

Trucks are made for projects!!!!

Tim

 

[bob turner]

Whenever I move airplane parts by truck, I do a preflight at 20 miles, then each time I stop. Never had any damage.

 

[flybynite]

I moved the PA-12 on a snowmobile trailer from the temp storage to a hangar. I used the rack to set one wing on. Since I wasn't going far, I just moved one wing at a time. If I had to go further, I would have stacked the wings with a bunch of foam in between them.

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Wayne

 

[cubx3]

my wife and I towed a chief home one time with a pick up .I took the tailwheel off and put a ballhitch in place of it.Put the wings up on top on a ladder rack,and the tailfeathers in the box of the truck.That was 25 yrs ago, I still have people ask me about it.

 

[CubLite]

Thanks Steve Pierce, that's exactly what I was thinking of doing. I had hauled one 600 miles a little over a year ago with the wings tied vertically to the sides of the fuselage and wasn't really happy with the results. Wings stacked on the floor sounds like a better alternative.

Pat

 

[behindpropellers]

Pat, I have put the tail up on a stand that went all the way across the width of the trailer and the wings on foam rubber under the fuselage. Hauled them from as far away as Idaho without a scratch.

Hey Steve-

Got the Beautiful clipper put back together yet that you hauled from Sun N Fun?

 

[Steve Pierce]

Started disassembly. Boot cowl, instrument panel and rudder pedals removed. Discovered I dumped 12 gallons of gas on the hot engine when the engine mount tube pierced the nose tank.

 

[bob turner]

Ouch!
Here are a pair of photos: First, my end clamp. note that one board extends beyond the wing so it can be stacked or tied vertically:

And next - the 2x3 or 2x4 attached to the lift strut bracket:

 

[CubLite]

Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 10:43 am Post subject:

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Started disassembly. Boot cowl, instrument panel and rudder pedals removed. Discovered I dumped 12 gallons of gas on the hot engine when the engine mount tube pierced the nose tank.
_________________
Steve Pierce

Looks like more than a scratch to me!

Pat