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Home built trailer for old glass ship



 
 
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  #11  
Old July 19th 18, 03:14 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
[email protected]
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Default Home built trailer for old glass ship

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.
  #12  
Old July 19th 18, 05:18 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
John Foster
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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.
  #13  
Old July 19th 18, 08:57 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Charlie Quebec
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Default Home built trailer for old glass ship

You are more likely to find an old trailer for a 2 seater, such as a IS28, Blanik, or Twin Astir suitable.
Starting out with an open flatbed and adding a top later could work too.
All of those would take a Pheobeus.
  #14  
Old July 19th 18, 12:17 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
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Default Home built trailer for old glass ship

We have a nice trailer for a Blanik L-13. It has slings that roll the wings in and out so, should work for any type of glider. See wings and wheels under trailers. Make us an offer.

Tim Hanke
Adirondack Soaring

Saratoga Springs, NY


518-693-6849




On Thursday, July 19, 2018 at 12:18:36 AM UTC-4, John Foster wrote:
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.


  #15  
Old July 19th 18, 12:20 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Roy B.
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Default Home built trailer for old glass ship

John:
It's very hard to find an existing trailer that fits a fixed gear glider (like the Phoebus A) because the glider has to sit so high in the trailer. There is not enough space between the canopy and the trailer top. Most trailers you will find will have a lower roof because the glider that went in it had retractable gear.

I would borrow a Schweitzer open type multipurpose trailer (with lots of straps & padding) to go and get the glider to take home. Then go on Google looking for "trailer frame kits" and start building from there.

Many fixed gear Phoebus trailers (including one that I had) used a center device that fitted to the fuselage when the wings were removed that held a garage door roller mounted vertically. The roller fit into a straight garage door channel that ran along the top of the enclosed trailer. You fit the fuselage/roller into the channel and that kept the fuselage upright in the trailer.There was no fuselage dolly. A latch mechanism on the channel kept the fuselage from moving fore & aft. Wing dollies are easy to make. Ditto for the stabilizer frame.

Good luck with this project if you do it.

ROY
  #16  
Old July 19th 18, 03:28 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Steve Leonard[_2_]
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Posts: 1,076
Default Home built trailer for old glass ship

On Wednesday, July 18, 2018 at 9:14:29 PM UTC-5, 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.


So, Mark, the question then becomes, "Would you be willing to build hoops for a trailer?" :-) Yep, building a large number of hoops to the same shape is no small task!

Steve Leonard
  #17  
Old July 19th 18, 03:55 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
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Posts: 774
Default Home built trailer for old glass ship

Steve- I doubt anyone will be willing to pay what I would have to charge. I'd need to resurrect the tooling, much of which was tossed when I quit building trailers.
  #18  
Old July 19th 18, 04:07 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Steve Leonard[_2_]
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Posts: 1,076
Default Home built trailer for old glass ship

On Thursday, July 19, 2018 at 9:55:34 AM UTC-5, wrote:
Steve- I doubt anyone will be willing to pay what I would have to charge. I'd need to resurrect the tooling, much of which was tossed when I quit building trailers.


Good move. Eliminate the temptation and free up the shop space for better projects. Like wing wheels, riggers, tow bars, etc.

Steve Leonard
PS: Love the wing wheel you made for my FJ-1! Thank you again for that effort!
 




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