PA-11 lifting eye??

[Alex Clark]

I lift my PA-11 for float changes by wrapping a cable around the cross-over spar. Has anyone used the Atlee Dodge lifting eye??? This pulling the roof apart is a pain.


xx

 

[T.J.]

delete

 

[Alex Clark]

I was hoping it would snow a few inches so I could fly the cub over to the airfield and land next to the runway on the snow. That would make getting it over there for a float change out much easier.
Trailering her over from the lake always turns into a big deal and the wing tips always get dinged on the trees.

I think the Dodge lfting eye for the PA-11 is just one in the middle. I am not sure. During the last change we just used a boom truck and a chunk of cable. It worked OK , but I am going to try doing it in a hanger this fall just to be a wuss.

 

[Airwrench]

Alex,
Use 2 equal length straps from the spar attach fittings, notch the fairing for them to stick through. and align the upper holes (forms an "A"). Through that common hole, you can use a shackle to lift it from.
Keep the dirty side down. Steve

 

[Longwinglover]

Run me off the forum if I'm wrong, but it seems a few of you have forgotten that the PA-11 has the spar attachment design of the J3, not the PA-18 ?

John Scott

 

[Alex Clark]

Yeap, so you have to grab the darn thing in the middle.
Unfortunately I mounted my antenna dead center in front of the sky light so I would get style points. So while pulling off that little fairing I screwed up the antenna and I managed to crack the skylight plexiglass while trying to get that darn fairing back on.

 

[JP]

I take it that the runway has something other than grass next to it. Around here they simply land on the grass with floats and winch it up on a snowmobile trailer and go hang it from the hangar beam.

Most folks like to land on the grass first thing in the morning when there's a bit of dew on it. Makes for a less abrupt stop! Pretty funny to watch, though. Otherwise, we're lucky as we have a lake and concrete ramp right next to a hangar, so a float change is not a major event.

When I redid the metal on the top of the 11 I made the top metal piece forward of the skylight/aft of the windshield easy to remove. The 11 is also easy to lift with a sling around the upper attach points on the engine mount. We use a tail stand to hold it in the proper attitude to do the changeover.

 

[S2D]

why don't you make a strap that goes all the way around the spar just inboard of the butt rib and long enough to stick thru the fairing?

 

[Alex Clark]

As for landing next to the runway, the grass here is not very thick and it has all sorts of rocks mixed in.
So either I will wait until there is some snow, or use the trailer to pull her out again.
I have the use of a float plane trailer whcih can be backed into the water and we just taxi the palne onto it.

BUT, the road to the airport has all sorts of trees that have grown over the years and the wings almost always snag on something.

The other alternative is to get a police escort on the main road.

I should have gone by Atlees place last week whe I was up in Anchorage and looked at his J-3 style lifting attachment. I think it is a twisted piece of metal but I am not sure. That is why I asked if anyone had seen or used one.

I was going to pull her out today but it is raining real hard with some sleet mixed in. So I will invent something else to do.

 

[T.J.]

I think the ones I remember had straps around the spars as S2D mentioned. I didn't pay attention then, I was interested in something else. That should work on metal spars. I wouldn't do it with wooden spars.

 

[AV8R2]

PA-11 LIFTING TAB

At the risk of possibly repeating what may have already been said: I make a custom lifting tab for the J3 and PA-11 that is one-piece and designed to be installed and left in place permanantly. It sells for $55.00. Made from .125"-4130 N steel

Burl
(907)688-3715
http://www.burlac.com

 

[Alex Clark]

I am ordering one from you today!!!