View Single Post
  #12  
Old July 19th 18, 05:18 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
John Foster
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 354
Default Home built trailer for old glass ship

On Wednesday, July 18, 2018 at 8:14:29 PM UTC-6, wrote:
Having built over 40 enclosed trailers based on the Schreder/Minden Fabrication design concept, I can offer some insight. The Phoebus has a very large wing, with a thick airfoil and very wide chord at the root. Combined with the rather wide and tall fuselage, the trailer profile must be large enough to comfortably house these primary components without undue interference.. I seriously doubt that just purchasing some unknown "trailer" (especially an "enclosed" model) will be satisfactory.

Make a cardboard template of the fuselage profile as viewed from the front.(Including any wing root fairings and protruding pins.) Make two templates of the wing root profile. Stack them together and try to draw an arch (or rectangle) around them, leaving at least a couple of inches clearance between the trailer profile and the wings, as well as the wing to fuselage. You will be shocked at the actual dimensions necessary to fit a Phoebus, Any trailer you purchase, build or otherwise acquire MUST meet the minimum profile dimensions, or you will waste a lot of time and money getting something that simply WILL NOT WORK!

And don't forget the vertical dimension of the rudder. It is pretty tall on the Phoebus, and if the "doghouse" rudder enclosure isn't tall enough, you have another problem.

Yes, I could build a trailer for the Phoebus. No, I am not willing to do so for less than $18,000. And probably not then anyway. I am getting too old for this.


Thanks. This sounds like a good idea. My initial thought was to find a flatbed trailer that was long enough (24 ft?) and build something on top of that. I'm comfortable with fiberglass. My welding is below novice level, but can learn. Barring that, I would need to find an axil and trailer hitch and build a custom trailer off that. I'm comfortable building and designing things, and for a one-time or winter project I think it could be fun. But I do see the sense in buying something that is functional and pre-made to save some time and money, if you can find something that will fit/work.