Best way to transport a Project?

[jhicks]

Hey guys,

I am thinking of buying a project. Will a Long EZ with the strakes and wings built fit in a enclosed trailer?
How would you transport an airframe? Whats the distance from strake tip to strake tip? and length of each wing?

Thanks,
Jamie

[srothert]

Jamie,
The center section spar is about 10 feet long (120 inches).  In order to trailer it, you will have to jack up one side about 33 inches.  Get a copy of the Long-Ez plans and see page 1-2.

Steve Rothert
Long- Ez N49SR

[johnjamis]

My standard long ez measures 9'7" wide at the widest part of the strake.  I towed it 300 miles in the midwest on a flat bed trailer with no issues.  The wings and canard were mounted on top of the strakes.  A wood support was attached where the canard normally mounts.  This provided the second resting surface for the wings and canard.   I do not know the legality of towing in this configuration.

[Bob Holliston]

I've trailered LongEZ's probably 20 times sitting flat on the trailer and have only gotten one ticket for it - well worth it. Bob LongEZ NX666DV.

[Fred N.]

I have been rebuilding a LEZ for 11 years.  I've trailered it 5 times on a flat trailer.  Being concerned about overwidth, the first time I retracted all the gears (it's an RG) and with mattresses under mostly the left side and allowed the right side to be up approximately 34" and the left side tied securely down to the floor of the trailer.  I've since learned that 104" width is permitted in most Western States.  Now, I simply retract the nose gear and snubb it in a very thick foam pad to the front of the trailer.  I strap across the rear of the landing gear and snubb these lines to a forward position, so it will always be held against the foam pad in front.  Both wings and canard are under the plane and between the landing gear on a mattress and also snubbed down with straps.  My trailers have been large enough to carry miscellaneous other stuff in boxes on both sides of the fuselage and behind.

[LongEZDaveA]

I'm not terribly qualified to answer from experience.  I first trailered my Long about one mile to the airport for the first flight.  The next time was a few miles to/from a couple of paint shops.  I did not tilt the fuselage to gain legal width for the highways involved. I received no grief from the local law enforcement folks.  I've heard of several that have said the same.  If you encounter problems in route, beg for forgiveness.  It will probably be the least of your worries.  Let us know how it goes if you decide to purchase the project if you care to.

[patchntx]

I haven't tried it myself, but it seems to me that a boat trailer might be perfect. there is no shortage of used boat trailers in texas loitering about parking lots everywhere. THe las trailer I had, all the runners were covered with carpet, they were individually adjustable in at least two different axies. The strakes will lay on the tops of the side guides .Lots of them around for sale durt cheap especially in the lewisville area


Scott Humphrey

[dhanson44]

I too have trailerd long ez, Vari ez, and the SQ 2000 flat on a several types of trailers mostly garden type trailers 12 to 16 ft long. I have found the best position so you can fit the wings and canard under the fuselage is to put the nose on a strong saw horse located at the front of the trailer and screwed to the deck if it moves your fuselage will move. On a short trailers 12 ft hang the nose over the front of the trailer so the engine does not stick out of the back this will help with your tounge weight. add concrete sacks for more weight if needed. I have hauled planes from coast to coast. maybe 10,000 miles never a ticket. Maybe I am just lucky the SQ was the hardest to haul it has a really long spar and the canrd was fixed so it was a sight. You wont have an issue with width of your long ez, as I did with the SQ the SQ wont fit thru most toll road booths, and if it did it was really close. Remember any movement of the parts will result in chaffing and a repair, I used rachet tie own straps you can buy in packs from WalMart, Also make sure your straps are cushioned from the wings or any thing they strap down, put a thin cushion under anything strapped to the trailer deck. Once you get everything strapped down drive about 10 miles and recheck your load. Do this a few times to make sure your not moving around and make adjustments as needed. I secure things fore and aft as well as up and down. Good luck

[BruceHughes]

If you go to a carpet business and ask, you can find a lot of discarded "underlayment" in their dumpster.
It should give sufficient padding where you need it.  Be VERY careful as they use disposable blades to
cut the carpet.  After using a blade for a short time, they throw them in the trash with the rest of the
underlayment.  That gives several very sharp blades in the underlayment.  There probably will be some
usable pieces of carpet as well.

Bruce Hughes

[kenyarich]

I just purchased a Long Ez in Haley, ID and loaded it onto a flat bed trailer with wings loaded under the fuse and strapped down. It is legally to wide but unless  you cause and accident or drive to fast, the state patrol will most likely pass you by.  I was pulled over on my way to SoCal but the officer did not even look at the width of the plane.  Gave me a fixit ticket for a missing sticker on my plates.

[dorr]

I've actually bought a light trailer (for 2 motorcycles) to carry canards - I've been to Ohio and back, Las Vegas and back from SoCal with Cozy III, Long EZ and Berkut strapped down on it. 

I'm wondering if you cock the nose to one side if the strake might actually be legal width - probably not.  But I've not ever had a ticket in 3000 miles or more with the nose forward and the strakes up.  With Defiant, a flat bed truck carried it on all 3 gear and it was even wider...but well above most cars and trucks, so safer.

If you need to transport in SoCal, I have the trailer and tie downs worked out - wood to old spar bolts, wood to put across canard attach bolt holes...come with it. 

Beagle

[Indycanard]

I've hauled my plane 5,000+ miles on a trailer (3 job relocations) using this setup. Never a scratch, very stable. Lots of weird looks. My kids wrote a sign to hand on one strake telling all that it's a plane.



Henry Herbert
20+ years and still building....

[dorr]

Greetings Henry

I don't have any details on where you are - the project looks pretty far along - get in touch.

canardfinder@att.net

Beagle

[Dricke]

I am going to transport my Long Ez from TN. to Oklahoma end of the February on 16 ft trailer and sure hate to build all the stuff to jack it up on one side, whats the fine for over width? 

[dorr]

Chance of ticket 1 in 10.  Tennessee $150, Arkansas $7, Oklahoma - how much do you have on you?

Sorry, I don't know what each state charges...if you get stopped, I've never had a ticket in about 3000 miles of towing EZs.  Have them stand back and line up their eye on the strake end, you on the other end of the tape - the strake ends converge about 150' behind you.

Beagle