No wing runner?
OK, you just landed at a deserted strip and called for an aero-
retrieve, but there's nobody around to run your wing.
Been there, done that, and it wasn't pretty! I put the right wing down
and aimed the fuselage 30 degrees left of runway heading, hooked up
the rope, climbed in and crossed my fingers! As expected, the drag
from the down wing swung the nose to the right, but I almost nailed a
runway light before aileron control kicked in and I was able to get
the right wing up. There's got to be a better way!
For several years, now I have carried a wing tip wheel that I use for
wing-runner-less, aero-retrieves. It consists of a padded aluminum
glove that slips over the leadind edge and is held in place with duct-
tape. The wing tip is raised about 6" off the ground which is high
enough to avoid gravel and low weeds. I once used it at strip that was
only 40 feet wide. I placed the main gear 7 feet from the runway
lights on the right and my tip wheel 7 feet from the lights on the
left. She rolled straight as an arrow!
Several pilots have asked me to make them one of my tip wheels, so I
finally ordered the parts and made a batch of 10 units. Assembled, it
measures 8" X 8" X 6". Remove the hinge pins and slip the 5" wheel
inside the glove and the height is reduced to only 2" for easy
storage. E-mail me for photos, price is set at $125 and I'll pay the
shipping (US).
JJ Sinclair
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