Solo Rigging Equipment

Bill Daniels wrote:
There is a variation on Bob's and Greg's systems that may work better for
some.

The key is a wing root dolly that allows the wing to swing out like a gate
once the wing root is rolled to the tailgate. It doesn't allow the wing to
rotate about its spanwise axis. You need a Udo-type 1-man rig dolly too.

The proceedure is to roll the fuselage off the trailer first. Then roll the
wing out until the root dolley hits a stop at the tailgate. Then swing the
wing out about 45 degrees - practice will determine the exact angle.

This would not be good solution in our area, where we frequently have
wind during rigging/derigging. We use the Udo/Cobra style dollies, with
the trailer pointed directly into the wind. The wing is pulled from the
trailer with the trailing up. After it is on the dolly adn still lined
up with the wind, it is maneuvered a little ways from the trailer, then
the wing is rotated until it is flat.

Once it is flat, the wind has much less effect on it, and the wing can
be moved perpendicular to the wind and the root slid into the fuselage.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
* "Transponders in Sailplanes" http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org

On Apr 2, 7:17 pm, Eric Greenwell wrote:
Bill Daniels wrote:
There is a variation on Bob's and Greg's systems that may work better for
some.

The key is a wing root dolly that allows the wing to swing out like a gate
once the wing root is rolled to the tailgate. It doesn't allow the wing to
rotate about its spanwise axis. You need a Udo-type 1-man rig dolly too.

The proceedure is to roll the fuselage off the trailer first. Then roll the
wing out until the root dolley hits a stop at the tailgate. Then swing the
wing out about 45 degrees - practice will determine the exact angle.

This would not be good solution in our area, where we frequently have
wind during rigging/derigging. We use the Udo/Cobra style dollies, with
the trailer pointed directly into the wind. The wing is pulled from the
trailer with the trailing up. After it is on the dolly adn still lined
up with the wind, it is maneuvered a little ways from the trailer, then
the wing is rotated until it is flat.

Once it is flat, the wind has much less effect on it, and the wing can
be moved perpendicular to the wind and the root slid into the fuselage.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
* "Transponders in Sailplanes"http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" atwww.motorglider.org

Expanding on Eric's comments, I have used the Udo dolly for around
8-10 years. I place the dolly beside the fuselage with the trailer
pointed into the wind. This allows me to pull the wing out of the
trailer w/o any side forces on the vertical (and vulnerable!) wing. I
lift the wing over the dolly's saddle as I pull the wing out. After
the wing is all the way out, in the saddle and the dolly clamp
attached, I lift the wing tip and move the wing (and dolly) about a
foot away from the fuselage. This allows the dolly's tires to clear
the fuselage. From here on out it is the pretty standard procedu
move the wing back until it is clear from the fuselage, rotate the
wing horizontal, manuevour the wing root into the fuselage, place wing
stand under the wing and repeat for the other wing.

I have used the Udo dolly on rough (dirt) surfaces and winds up to 20
kt successfully. It can also be used to rig and derig a glider that
isn't at the trailer (read "retrieve"). The only problem I have had
with it is the step of lifting the wing and dolly applies force on the
top of the hand crank, which eventually cracked. I had to have it
brazed to fix it and have not had any problems since.

Having a dolly that allows the fuselage to tip, or rock, slightly is a
huge advantage during one-man assembly. This eliminates the need for
an electric actuator on the dolly to raise and lower the wing (or a
lot of back and forth adjustments).

The key to a some rigging is good alignment. I have a DG-400 and the
position of the wing relative to the fuselage, both yaw and roll, is
critical. Get it right and it goes like a piece of cake. Get it wrong
and you will learn some new swear words.

Tom Seim
Richland, WA

On Apr 3, 9:53 am, wrote:
On Apr 2, 7:17 pm, Eric Greenwell wrote:



Bill Daniels wrote:
There is a variation on Bob's and Greg's systems that may work better for
some.

The key is a wing root dolly that allows the wing to swing out like a gate
once the wing root is rolled to the tailgate. It doesn't allow the wing to
rotate about its spanwise axis. You need a Udo-type 1-man rig dolly too.

The proceedure is to roll the fuselage off the trailer first. Then roll the
wing out until the root dolley hits a stop at the tailgate. Then swing the
wing out about 45 degrees - practice will determine the exact angle.

This would not be good solution in our area, where we frequently have
wind during rigging/derigging. We use the Udo/Cobra style dollies, with
the trailer pointed directly into the wind. The wing is pulled from the
trailer with the trailing up. After it is on the dolly adn still lined
up with the wind, it is maneuvered a little ways from the trailer, then
the wing is rotated until it is flat.

Once it is flat, the wind has much less effect on it, and the wing can
be moved perpendicular to the wind and the root slid into the fuselage.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
* "Transponders in Sailplanes"http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" atwww.motorglider.org

Expanding on Eric's comments, I have used the Udo dolly for around
8-10 years. I place the dolly beside the fuselage with the trailer
pointed into the wind. This allows me to pull the wing out of the
trailer w/o any side forces on the vertical (and vulnerable!) wing. I
lift the wing over the dolly's saddle as I pull the wing out. After
the wing is all the way out, in the saddle and the dolly clamp
attached, I lift the wing tip and move the wing (and dolly) about a
foot away from the fuselage. This allows the dolly's tires to clear
the fuselage. From here on out it is the pretty standard procedu
move the wing back until it is clear from the fuselage, rotate the
wing horizontal, manuevour the wing root into the fuselage, place wing
stand under the wing and repeat for the other wing.

I have used the Udo dolly on rough (dirt) surfaces and winds up to 20
kt successfully. It can also be used to rig and derig a glider that
isn't at the trailer (read "retrieve"). The only problem I have had
with it is the step of lifting the wing and dolly applies force on the
top of the hand crank, which eventually cracked. I had to have it
brazed to fix it and have not had any problems since.

Having a dolly that allows the fuselage to tip, or rock, slightly is a
huge advantage during one-man assembly. This eliminates the need for
an electric actuator on the dolly to raise and lower the wing (or a
lot of back and forth adjustments).

The key to a some rigging is good alignment. I have a DG-400 and the
position of the wing relative to the fuselage, both yaw and roll, is
critical. Get it right and it goes like a piece of cake. Get it wrong
and you will learn some new swear words.

Tom Seim
Richland, WA

I had an Udo dolly with my LAK-12. The wings tend to be a bit leading
edge heavy and the root dollies are unstable. It can be rigged with
two, with the second person guarding against tipping. However,
lifting the tips in and out of the factory trailer saddles if a real
PITA. I intend to finish modifying the trailer as in the following
examples for a one person rig system. This means widening the axle
track and removing the inner wheel wells.

The first example came with Bob Faris' LS-3. I don't know who
designed it, but it is an elegant, aluminum solution.
http://www.coloradosoaring.org/riggi...um_example.pdf
(1.6mb)

The second example was derived from the first, but built in steel and
is used for a G-102.
http://www.coloradosoaring.org/riggi...el_example.pdf
(1.1mb)

Frank Whiteley

Note that in Bob's rig, the track of the one man dolly is MUCH greater than
those that must clear the tailboom/rudder. This makes it very hard for the
wind to overturn it. Also note that Bob rotates the wing level almost as
soon as the root is released from the root dolly. I've seen Bob de-rig his
very heavy LS3 in a 40 kt wind.

I think this system is WAY safer than the "do-si-do" of walking the wing out
past the tail especially in a high wind.

Bill Daniels


"Frank Whiteley" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Apr 3, 9:53 am, wrote:
On Apr 2, 7:17 pm, Eric Greenwell wrote:



Bill Daniels wrote:
There is a variation on Bob's and Greg's systems that may work better
for
some.

The key is a wing root dolly that allows the wing to swing out like a
gate
once the wing root is rolled to the tailgate. It doesn't allow the
wing to
rotate about its spanwise axis. You need a Udo-type 1-man rig dolly
too.

The proceedure is to roll the fuselage off the trailer first. Then
roll the
wing out until the root dolley hits a stop at the tailgate. Then
swing the
wing out about 45 degrees - practice will determine the exact angle.

This would not be good solution in our area, where we frequently have
wind during rigging/derigging. We use the Udo/Cobra style dollies, with
the trailer pointed directly into the wind. The wing is pulled from the
trailer with the trailing up. After it is on the dolly adn still lined
up with the wind, it is maneuvered a little ways from the trailer,
then
the wing is rotated until it is flat.

Once it is flat, the wind has much less effect on it, and the wing can
be moved perpendicular to the wind and the root slid into the fuselage.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
* "Transponders in Sailplanes"http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" atwww.motorglider.org

Expanding on Eric's comments, I have used the Udo dolly for around
8-10 years. I place the dolly beside the fuselage with the trailer
pointed into the wind. This allows me to pull the wing out of the
trailer w/o any side forces on the vertical (and vulnerable!) wing. I
lift the wing over the dolly's saddle as I pull the wing out. After
the wing is all the way out, in the saddle and the dolly clamp
attached, I lift the wing tip and move the wing (and dolly) about a
foot away from the fuselage. This allows the dolly's tires to clear
the fuselage. From here on out it is the pretty standard procedu
move the wing back until it is clear from the fuselage, rotate the
wing horizontal, manuevour the wing root into the fuselage, place wing
stand under the wing and repeat for the other wing.

I have used the Udo dolly on rough (dirt) surfaces and winds up to 20
kt successfully. It can also be used to rig and derig a glider that
isn't at the trailer (read "retrieve"). The only problem I have had
with it is the step of lifting the wing and dolly applies force on the
top of the hand crank, which eventually cracked. I had to have it
brazed to fix it and have not had any problems since.

Having a dolly that allows the fuselage to tip, or rock, slightly is a
huge advantage during one-man assembly. This eliminates the need for
an electric actuator on the dolly to raise and lower the wing (or a
lot of back and forth adjustments).

The key to a some rigging is good alignment. I have a DG-400 and the
position of the wing relative to the fuselage, both yaw and roll, is
critical. Get it right and it goes like a piece of cake. Get it wrong
and you will learn some new swear words.

Tom Seim
Richland, WA

I had an Udo dolly with my LAK-12. The wings tend to be a bit leading
edge heavy and the root dollies are unstable. It can be rigged with
two, with the second person guarding against tipping. However,
lifting the tips in and out of the factory trailer saddles if a real
PITA. I intend to finish modifying the trailer as in the following
examples for a one person rig system. This means widening the axle
track and removing the inner wheel wells.

The first example came with Bob Faris' LS-3. I don't know who
designed it, but it is an elegant, aluminum solution.
http://www.coloradosoaring.org/riggi...um_example.pdf
(1.6mb)

The second example was derived from the first, but built in steel and
is used for a G-102.
http://www.coloradosoaring.org/riggi...el_example.pdf
(1.1mb)

Frank Whiteley

On Apr 3, 3:12 pm, "Bill Daniels" bildan@comcast-dot-net wrote:
Note that in Bob's rig, the track of the one man dolly is MUCH greater than
those that must clear the tailboom/rudder. This makes it very hard for the
wind to overturn it. Also note that Bob rotates the wing level almost as
soon as the root is released from the root dolly. I've seen Bob de-rig his
very heavy LS3 in a 40 kt wind.

I think this system is WAY safer than the "do-si-do" of walking the wing out
past the tail especially in a high wind.

What helps a lot with the Udo rig is to have an assistant hold some
portion of the dolly while I do all the maneuvering. This person can
then provide whatever stabilization is necessary to keep it form
tipping over.

Never let someone help at the tip for two main reasons:
1) They will want to help by lifting, thus making the root end
heavier!
2) If the rig starts to tip it is very hard for the helper to realize
it's not the wingroot person making the move. I've dropped a wing due
to this method

I have also found the dolly itself is much more stable and the wing
doesn't slide around if the leading edge is kept down while
maneuvering. Of course, this means that a helper is mandatory if
there is any wind. I use the rig primarily to protect my back from
heavy lifting (ASH-26E wings are quite heavy) and to allow a more
leisurely and relaxed assembly that lets me pause to deal with any
glitches that come up during the assembly.

-Tom

I don't like the idea of adding 3 more pieces of equipment to my
rigging aids, but I bet that he can do it pretty quick.

I use Udo's dolly and only need a safety spotter over 25 knots or so.
I have them stand at the dolly, not at the tip.

I do rotate the wing to level, if you really crank down on the wing
clamp, then the wing doesn't move around.

One note about Udo's rig, get the lateral adjustment option, it really
improves rigging ease.

Todd Smith
3S

On Apr 4, 7:00 am, "toad" wrote:
I don't like the idea of adding 3 more pieces of equipment to my
rigging aids, but I bet that he can do it pretty quick.

I use Udo's dolly and only need a safety spotter over 25 knots or so.
I have them stand at the dolly, not at the tip.

I do rotate the wing to level, if you really crank down on the wing
clamp, then the wing doesn't move around.

One note about Udo's rig, get the lateral adjustment option, it really
improves rigging ease.

Todd Smith
3S

The Udo dolly is a good design, but a LAK-12 wing is on the extreme
limit of what it's capable of handling stablely. The examples I've
linked to have much wider tracks and some other advantages, however,
because of that wide track you can't roll them next to the fuselage,
so they have to be considered part of an integrated system.

YMMV,

Frank Whiteley

Bill Daniels wrote:
Note that in Bob's rig, the track of the one man dolly is MUCH greater than
those that must clear the tailboom/rudder. This makes it very hard for the
wind to overturn it. Also note that Bob rotates the wing level almost as
soon as the root is released from the root dolly. I've seen Bob de-rig his
very heavy LS3 in a 40 kt wind.

Wow! I would not want to even remove my tailplane in a 40 knot wind,
much less have the wing perpendicular to the wind when it's removed from
the fuselage, even when it is flat. I don't care how wide the track is:
at 40 knots, my wing panel could easily lift off the dolly if it got
just a small angle of attack, or a gust/turbulence. I mean, it's almost
flying with the fuselage attached!

I think this system is WAY safer than the "do-si-do" of walking the wing out
past the tail especially in a high wind.

When I take the wing out of the trailer, it's parallel to the wind, so
there is very little force on it. Moving it aft until the dolly is just
past the tail doesn't change that. Once it's past the tail, the wing can
be rotated flat, which greatly reduces the effect of the wind. Then,
it's moved into position besides the fuselage.

So, the moving past the tail is the safest part; moving it perpendicular
to the fuselage and the wind is where things get riskier, and that part
of the operation sets the limit on the wind I can handle.

Fortunately, I've never had to derig in really strong winds; instead,
I've tied down the glider, or got it to hangar or a sheltered area. Two
big motorhomes nose-to-nose in front of the glider can really help!

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
* "Transponders in Sailplanes" http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org

One of the reasons I was interested in Chip's WingMate is it's small
size when collapsed. I have a 1985 vintage Cobra. With a wing wheel
and tow bar along with the other usual stuff there doesn't seem to be
much room left up front. The only one I've seen used is one of Udo's
carts. It seems very easy to use. I wasn't around when he derigged
and will need to see how he fits it in the trailer with the other
stuff.

I was thinking of making something that would utilize the trailer's
wing fixtures. They are rigid but are at a position where they are
over the aileron at the trailing edge. I'm wondering if the process
of rotating the wing as well as being horizontal would be too much
stress on the aileron. Any thoughts on that?

Thanks,
Bob

On Apr 4, 11:46 pm, wrote:
One of the reasons I was interested in Chip's WingMate is it's small
size when collapsed. I have a 1985 vintage Cobra. With a wing wheel
and tow bar along with the other usual stuff there doesn't seem to be
much room left up front. The only one I've seen used is one of Udo's
carts. It seems very easy to use. I wasn't around when he derigged
and will need to see how he fits it in the trailer with the other
stuff.

I was thinking of making something that would utilize the trailer's
wing fixtures. They are rigid but are at a position where they are
over the aileron at the trailing edge. I'm wondering if the process
of rotating the wing as well as being horizontal would be too much
stress on the aileron. Any thoughts on that?

Thanks,
Bob

One trick that I have seen for storage is to put the wing saddle on a
wing in the trailer. That way, only the cross bar and wheels need to
fit up front.

Todd
3S