Trailering my Kitfox

[FoxDB]

I am working on finishing a Trailer for my Kitfox. I feel comfortable with tying it down as far as the tires and tail but I am concerned about supporting the wings. The load is just on the braces that are attached to the fuselage. What have you done to support the tips to reduce the loading?
Thanks
Dave

[t j]

I trailer for each flight and have never used any support at the wing tips. I use the front wing root wing supports and lock back braces at the wing strut attach fitting to secure the wings from any movement but they do not provide any support.

I just finished my annual condition inspection today. After about a hundred or so round trips of 20 mules to the airport and back I can't see any wear.

[DBVZ]

If you do a search for "trailering" you will find some threads with good ideas. Like a split swim noodle to keep the wings from wear, and to bungee the counterweights together, and carpet covered boards with a spacer between to lock control surfaces in place. I don't recall that anyone did much about supporting the wing tips though. Trailering backward you do not have much concern about air being blown inside the wing roots at highway speeds, which could cause problems with the wing covering. For long range road trips you may want to use the "shrink wrap" material that shippers use to keep boxes on pallets, to protect it from road debris.

It is not clear how the tail support it done, and attached. I saw what I thought was a good idea on that. A ramp that you drag the TW up, and then two hinges panels that close on each side with pins through the towing bolt holes. Another thought was something with a shock absorber.

[kitfox2009]

FoxDB
If you look on my "albums/pictures" you may get some ideas for support at the rear of the fuselage. This system works very well on my Vixen. It takes all the stress that would be there with a single point hookup. The a/c winches up on the ramps very easily.
I have not supported the wing tips other than putting a safety strap around them just in case the support brackets came loose!!

Don

[FoxDB]

Thank You for the reply's.

[metalman]

I've just trailered my Skyfox about 2000kms without any issues, I used thick foam taped to the ailerons and then loosely tied the wings together, the trailer is made pretty "soft" so as to not transfer the road through to the aircraft, I'll try to put a pic in my album
cheers Mat
http://www.teamkitfox.com/Forums/picture.php?albumid=189&pictureid=2722

[Stolman]

I trailer for each flight ....

TJ, How long does setup and breakdown take? Do you have to drain the tanks? Do you keep your plane at home? From where do you take off?

Thanks,
Bill in AZ

[t j]

Unloading to the ready to fuel up and preflight average is 20 minutes. My personal best is 15 minutes. My plane has a 9 gallon panel tank and one 13 gallon wing tank. I plan the fuel so that the wing tank is empty at the end of the flight so no draining. Loading up and securing everything averages 30 minutes. I keep the plane at home and trailer 10 miles to the Ellensburg airport. I have a 48 foot long shop...built for my airplane...so the pickup and trailer fit without unhooking the trailer.

[Stolman]

Many thanks!