flying external loads
- Thread starter northguy
- Start date
Snowbirdxx
Well-Known Member
Gearlegs with and without wheels
Bicyles
Skis for planes and humans
Banner equipment
Propellers
Wingstruts
Portable crane to change a gear on a glacier
Fireworks rocket launchers ( not recommended)
Flying well speed decreases wot area of ext load.
Always made suoer soft landings
Used speed tape cargo belts and rubberbelts to fix the load
Not on floats either on wheels or on skis.
Bicyles
Skis for planes and humans
Banner equipment
Propellers
Wingstruts
Portable crane to change a gear on a glacier
Fireworks rocket launchers ( not recommended)
Flying well speed decreases wot area of ext load.
Always made suoer soft landings
Used speed tape cargo belts and rubberbelts to fix the load
Not on floats either on wheels or on skis.
Meadowlark
Well-Known Member
Mike Vivion has some real interesting stories about flying external loads on many different types of aircraft in Alaska.
J/C GTF
J/C GTF
Snowbirdxx
Well-Known Member
ýou will barely notice a rifle or snowskis
tbienz
Well-Known Member
I fly with snow skis on the struts all winter (except this winter because conditions sucked), you will not notice that. I also flew a freshly killed 6-point elk head tied to the right wing strut this past Fall and was surprised that it didn’t create much drag. Weird.
Not legal by the way (in lower 48) but I’ve never been questioned and generally land and takeoff away from main runways anyway.
Not legal by the way (in lower 48) but I’ve never been questioned and generally land and takeoff away from main runways anyway.
Snowbirdxx
Well-Known Member
I do not dee a problem with a canoe
bumper
Well-Known Member
Most canoes don't fly all that well, having a rather disappointing L/D and a dismal power to weight ratio. I suggest looking for a canoe with wings:
tbienz
Well-Known Member
If you're up in AK, you can probably just ask around the ramp and find a couple dozen people who have flown plywood, canoes, kayaks, farm animals etc. strapped outside 
If you end up determining that the plane is too slow or out of trim and you want an alternative, consider the Trak 16 kayak. Mine fits into the Husky easily. Takes about 20-30 minutes to assemble (but you would need to beach the plane and do it on the ground...assembly on the water will not work). Unlike some other folding boats, it is a real functioning sea kayak that I have used in fresh and salt water. Handles waves well with the skirt and is pretty fast, even off-shore ocean stuff. Basically like a skin-on-frame Greenland kayak but with modern features like aluminum frames, synthetic skin, & hydraulic rams to control camber and wind drift.
If you end up determining that the plane is too slow or out of trim and you want an alternative, consider the Trak 16 kayak. Mine fits into the Husky easily. Takes about 20-30 minutes to assemble (but you would need to beach the plane and do it on the ground...assembly on the water will not work). Unlike some other folding boats, it is a real functioning sea kayak that I have used in fresh and salt water. Handles waves well with the skirt and is pretty fast, even off-shore ocean stuff. Basically like a skin-on-frame Greenland kayak but with modern features like aluminum frames, synthetic skin, & hydraulic rams to control camber and wind drift.
Northguy,
Canoes fly just fine on the floats. Secure them to the struts, and take one canoe at a time. Pay attention to how long they are, and ensure that they don't conflict with prop and/or water rudders/other rigging. I used ratcheting cargo straps to ensure that I got things nice and tight. You really don't want a canoe coming loose in flight......
As to legalities, the Alaska region of the FAA permits carriage of external loads, under a Restricted category airworthiness certificate and a permit from the FAA. They issue these pretty routinely there. There are one or two other districts of the FAA that permit them as well, but for the most part, not legal in the Lower 48.
If you're concerned about that, Pak Boat makes some really nice folding canoes. I used to carry two of them, folded up, one in each float compartment of the Baumann floats on our Husky. Much simpler than strapping stuff on the outside in any case.
As to lumber, ie: Plywood, I have flown lots of wood on the floats. There are some things you need to pay attention to:
First, again, use ratcheting cargo straps to secure the stuff to the struts. I would NOT carry plywood on the spreader bars in full sheets. The problem is that in that location, the plywood affects the airflow over the horizontal tail.....which may or may not be good. I've done it, and won't do so again.
Full sheets of plywood won't fit on the struts of a Husky, so I cut them lengthwise in half. Now, they are 2 x 8 ft. and fit fine.
Be VERY careful of weight and balance. Plywood is heavy and dense. And, full length, it can extend aft quite a ways......balance.
I used sheet rock screws through the sheets to tie them all together. You REALLY don't want a sheet that's in the middle of a stack to start sliding aft...... I know guys who used C clamps to squeeze all the sheets together, but I want that load to be ONE piece.
So, again, be advised that, depending on where you're planning this little operation, the FAA may frown on such antics. Aerodynamically, however, the airplane doesn't really care much. Start off slow, and light, and work your way up.
Lumber gets heavy quick, though.....
MTV
Canoes fly just fine on the floats. Secure them to the struts, and take one canoe at a time. Pay attention to how long they are, and ensure that they don't conflict with prop and/or water rudders/other rigging. I used ratcheting cargo straps to ensure that I got things nice and tight. You really don't want a canoe coming loose in flight......
As to legalities, the Alaska region of the FAA permits carriage of external loads, under a Restricted category airworthiness certificate and a permit from the FAA. They issue these pretty routinely there. There are one or two other districts of the FAA that permit them as well, but for the most part, not legal in the Lower 48.
If you're concerned about that, Pak Boat makes some really nice folding canoes. I used to carry two of them, folded up, one in each float compartment of the Baumann floats on our Husky. Much simpler than strapping stuff on the outside in any case.
As to lumber, ie: Plywood, I have flown lots of wood on the floats. There are some things you need to pay attention to:
First, again, use ratcheting cargo straps to secure the stuff to the struts. I would NOT carry plywood on the spreader bars in full sheets. The problem is that in that location, the plywood affects the airflow over the horizontal tail.....which may or may not be good. I've done it, and won't do so again.
Full sheets of plywood won't fit on the struts of a Husky, so I cut them lengthwise in half. Now, they are 2 x 8 ft. and fit fine.
Be VERY careful of weight and balance. Plywood is heavy and dense. And, full length, it can extend aft quite a ways......balance.
I used sheet rock screws through the sheets to tie them all together. You REALLY don't want a sheet that's in the middle of a stack to start sliding aft...... I know guys who used C clamps to squeeze all the sheets together, but I want that load to be ONE piece.
So, again, be advised that, depending on where you're planning this little operation, the FAA may frown on such antics. Aerodynamically, however, the airplane doesn't really care much. Start off slow, and light, and work your way up.
Lumber gets heavy quick, though.....
MTV