Portable tie-downs

[jtpitkin06]

Portable tie-downs Oshkosh style.


If you are flying your plane to Oshkosh you’ll need to bring your own tie-down anchors and hardware. Even if you are not making the journey, these anchors are handy for fly-ins. The EAA has designed a set that is light weight and effective. You can find plans for them on the Airventure site. It’s basically a triangle base plate with three holes for stakes and a U-bolt for rope in the middle.



When looking through my scrap box for a piece of 1/8 inch steel for the ground plate I spied a pair of gate hinges. Wow! the triangle is practically cut and it has three of the five required holes.


I cut the hinge pin off with a Sawzall and rounded the corners with a grinder. Drill two additional holes for the u-bolt and you are almost done. Just thread the ends of nine 1/4 inch rods 18 inches long. Install some washers with nuts. The washers give a place to use an “S” hook and rope to pull up the stakes when you leave. I finished the whole project in under an hour.


The picture shows how I cut off the hinge pin, a couple of completed plates and some stakes.


John Pitkin
Greenville, TX

[Dorsal]

Nice, definetly cheaper than the flyties I just bought for my trip to Oshkosh.

[Av8r3400]

I've been very happy with my "Claws".

[DBVZ]

My first thought after reading this, was to go buy three of those screw type dog grounding stakes. They have a screw rod going into the ground, and a ring on top for the dog leash (or tie-down strap). Get the big one, for a Great Dane. Big enough?

[Dorsal]

The eaa does not reccomend them but it is what I used 25 years ago at Oshkosh.

[Av8r3400]

Dog-Screws - Search and look at the photos of the tornado that hit Sun 'n Fun. I saw many of the upended planes with dog-screws still attached to the wings. I remember one of the photos of planes at the Zenair booth: The one with "the Claw" was still in place with the dog-screw plane upside down next to it...

[Peteohms]

My Kitfox III survived Sun N Fun with destruction all around me. Screw type anchors were laying all over the ground with the planes they were to protect upside down or smashed up. My "Claws" just barely held but fared well considering. I made longer pins for my Claws after I got home.

[Dave S]

John P,

What kind and size of ropes are you using with your home fabricated tie downs? My plans are to put something together like you did or like the EAA plans.

Also - what do people do with a trigear? Go to 4 tiedown set up or just do the tail and and hope the nose doesn't get tossed up in a breeze?

Sincerely,

Dave S
KF7 Trigear
912ULS Warp

[Dorsal]

I am going for three, and lash the stick forward?

[jtpitkin06]

I'm using 3/8 inch dacron yacht braid. It's good for 5100 lbs. Easy to tie/untie and easy on the hands. UV resistant. Available at most marine stores. Melt the ends to prevent fraying.

If you spread your tie downs out at an angle you should nave no problem using three with a tri-gear. Just as you see at any airport flight line. Dorsal is correct... tie your control stick forward. Even my Cardinal has forward stick when the control lock is installed.

My tiedowns are essentially the EAA type. I just saw the hinges and thought they were exactly what I needed to fabricate the ground plates with minimum effort. Being a thrifty sort, I thought the price was right, too! Even if you have to buy the parts, it's pretty cheap.

If you buy a pre-made set... get "The Claw". They are slightly heavier, but fold into a small package and they are bullet proof.

Always take extra rope with you.

JP