pushing planes

[John Clear]

Jay started a discussion recently about pushing planes after seeing
someone push a Cherokee by the elevator.

I was at the Golden West Fly-in at Marysville, CA (MYV) over the
weekend, and after the air race demo, the crew of Dreadnought
(Hawker Sea Fury) grabbed a bunch of spectators to help push it
from the flight line back into the display area. The pilot was on
one side of the elevator, and I was the on the other side, along
with two other guys. There were six people pushing on the elevator,
and a bunch more pushing on the wings, and we were barely able to
move that beast back into the display area. I assume since the
crew was telling us to use the elevator to push the plane back,
that they know what they are doing.

After flying home, my passenger (non-pilot) jumps out of the Archer
and goes over to the elevator to help push the plane back. I had
to explain to him the difference between a 10,000lbs fighter and
1,600lbs Archer. I can move an Archer with one hand on the tow
bar. Moving a Sea Fury takes a dozen or more friends.

John
--
John Clear - http://www.clear-prop.org/

[Doug]

My Husky not only is designed to be pushed by pusing on the horizontal
stabilizer, they also installed a handle there to help you hold onto
it. It is obviously THE place to push, when you want to push the plane
back.

[Jay Honeck]

> After flying home, my passenger (non-pilot) jumps out of the Archer
> and goes over to the elevator to help push the plane back. I had
> to explain to him the difference between a 10,000lbs fighter and
> 1,600lbs Archer. I can move an Archer with one hand on the tow
> bar. Moving a Sea Fury takes a dozen or more friends.

There is always a right way, and a wrong way. A Sea Fury is made of much
stouter stuff than our Spam Cans.

In addition to the episode I described (in the thread "Dumb and Dumber")
I've seen people push on spinners to move planes, and I've seen people
pulling on props way out at the tip, too.

It boggles the mind.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Matt Whiting]

Jay Honeck wrote:
>>After flying home, my passenger (non-pilot) jumps out of the Archer
>>and goes over to the elevator to help push the plane back. I had
>>to explain to him the difference between a 10,000lbs fighter and
>>1,600lbs Archer. I can move an Archer with one hand on the tow
>>bar. Moving a Sea Fury takes a dozen or more friends.
>
>
> There is always a right way, and a wrong way. A Sea Fury is made of much
> stouter stuff than our Spam Cans.
>
> In addition to the episode I described (in the thread "Dumb and Dumber")
> I've seen people push on spinners to move planes, and I've seen people
> pulling on props way out at the tip, too.

I really doubt that pulling on the tip of a prop would apply a force
even close to what the prop sees in service. Pushing on the elevator,
however, is a force quite unlike what the elevator sees in service.

Matt

[Ol Shy & Bashful]

Matt
Like the forces on a rotor blade in operation, centrifugal forces do
have some affect on things.......
It doesn't take much bend to have a terrible affect on a prop blade and
balance.
Each aircraft has its own pecularities/weaknesses/strengths.
Cheers
Rocky
Matt Whiting wrote:
> Jay Honeck wrote:
> >>After flying home, my passenger (non-pilot) jumps out of the Archer
> >>and goes over to the elevator to help push the plane back. I had
> >>to explain to him the difference between a 10,000lbs fighter and
> >>1,600lbs Archer. I can move an Archer with one hand on the tow
> >>bar. Moving a Sea Fury takes a dozen or more friends.
> >
> >
> > There is always a right way, and a wrong way. A Sea Fury is made of much
> > stouter stuff than our Spam Cans.
> >
> > In addition to the episode I described (in the thread "Dumb and Dumber")
> > I've seen people push on spinners to move planes, and I've seen people
> > pulling on props way out at the tip, too.
>
> I really doubt that pulling on the tip of a prop would apply a force
> even close to what the prop sees in service. Pushing on the elevator,
> however, is a force quite unlike what the elevator sees in service.
>
> Matt

[Matt Whiting]

Ol Shy & Bashful wrote:

> Matt
> Like the forces on a rotor blade in operation, centrifugal forces do
> have some affect on things.......
> It doesn't take much bend to have a terrible affect on a prop blade and
> balance.

It takes a lot of force to permanently bend an aircraft propellor blade,
that is my point. Sure, a bend in the blade is very bad, but bending
the blade isn't easy and few people could do it by hand.

Matt

[AES]

In article >,
Matt Whiting > wrote:

> I really doubt that pulling on the tip of a prop would apply a force
> even close to what the prop sees in service.

Gotta read that sentence carefully. I know from nothing about props,
but:

1) X being not "even close to" Y can mean X << Y -- or it can mean
X >> Y. Big difference.

2) And, is it "force" we should be concerned about here -- or
"lever arm"? Again, big difference.