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Thread: Tiedowns

  1. #31
    Zac Weidner's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tie down anchors

    From what I saw at Sun-N-Fun 2011 with the tornado (We got there the day after it hit), The short auger type are next to worthless, and the rebar at different angles hammered in was totally worthless, especially in the sandy soil down there. The Claw systems broke just outboard of the swivel bolts. I think with that kind of wind, something is going to give, whether it be a rope/tiedown failure or part of the airplane bending.

    If you are wanting a permanent tiedown in the soil, I think the 3-4 foot long auger type would probably be pretty good, because they will be long enough to get down to fairly firm soil and probably hold better than most other things.

    This is just what I have noticed and I am sure there will be some different opinions.

  2. #32

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    Default Re: Tie down anchors


  3. #33
    Gilbert Pierce's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tie down anchors

    My Clipper survived SnF 2011 using FLYTIES http://www.flyties.com/ as well as the Spearfish SWP Convention where several airplanes were damaged. Since then I now carry two sets. From what I have seen the Stormforce tie downs are also an excellent choice. I saw a number of broken Claws at SnF, one had been used to secure an airplane that was on it's back tied down behind me plus a brand new Dakota Cub that was destroyed.

    At SnF where you were tied down played are part in who experienced broken and pulled up tie downs. The fact that a Claw broke holding an airplane tied down behind me said I would stay with the fly ties and carry a second set to add on when bad wx is forecast.

    The Claws broke at one of the three bolted joints.
    Last edited by Gilbert Pierce; 02-17-2013 at 07:32 PM.

  4. #34
    Dwain's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tie down anchors

    The auger type that hold down mobil homes seem to work very well and they're cheap.

  5. #35
    Skyboltone's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tie down anchors


  6. #36
    Frank Green's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tie down anchors

    Johnie - Are you asking about permanent for home base or portable for travel?
    -Super Stub-

  7. #37

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    Default Re: Tie down anchors

    Frank

    The portable ones for travel. Like the ones that you'd use at Osh.

    Johnnie

  8. #38
    BrettL's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tie down anchors

    I also have the FlyTies, and I'm very satisfied with them. At the time I purchased them I considered them in very close competition to the Claw system. However I heard of some cases of the cast portion of the Claw failing just inboard of the anchor pins. That was what drove my decision to the FlyTies, and I've since heard of other similar failures with the Claw. Either one will pull out of soil with enough force, but I've not heard of any part of the FlyTies itself ever breaking.

    Since then I've seen the two newer options of Storm Force and Abe's Aviation. I have been keeping an eye on both. The first negative thing that caught my attention on the Storm Force is that they are very keen on mentioning that they use the "FAA recommended 45 degree tie down method" from AC 20-35C. The only mention of 45 degrees in AC 20-35C is in regards to securing a length of rope through the tail tiedown ring with one anchor on each side of the tail. The depiction of wing tie downs in the AC clearly shows the ground anchor placed 30 degrees forward and 30 degrees outward of the tie down point on the wing, NOT 45! Otherwise no angle for the wing ties downs is mentioned in the advisory circular at all. If you view their video, the anchors are tested by applying a load 45 degrees to the tiedown. Of course the tie down is going to perform best with the load applied perpendicular to the anchor pins. A real airplane in a real storm is probably not going to apply the load exactly perpendicular to the anchor pins, even if it is tied down at 45 degrees. The airplane will most likely experience both vertical and horizontal movement in great variation. So the question is, how would the Storm Force perform with a realistic load? Unknown. I suspect that it would not fair near as well with a vertical load applied, even if that load is applied at the end of a 6 foot long rope attached at 45 degrees to the anchor. At least to me it appears that Storm Force is designed to withstand a load primarily in one direction, and that is perpendicular to the plane of the anchor pins, without regards to any other. Ultimately I believe that the vertical load is the one that will cause the airplane to be damaged or lost. (I was the last person to tie down a Cessna 150 that was flipped in a wind storm a few years ago. During a storm, the airplane was lifted by the tail and flipped over on its back laying upside down facing back toward the tiedown space. It was on a permanent tie down installation. All three ropes failed.)

    Now we have Abe's Aircraft, which looks like a good idea. However, I'm disappointed that again, it was tested by pulling mostly in a horizontal direction rather than vertically. Hook a 6 foot line to it at whatever angle you desire, but then pull on the end of that VERTICALLY and measure the force VERTICALLY! (I expected a better test from Paul Bertorelli.)

    Ultimately I'm satisfied that my Fly-Ties are the best portable tie down currently available. There's just not enough real world data yet to conclude if the Storm Force or Abe's Aircraft offerings truly do offer any advantage. Portable tie downs have limitations, and I don't believe there are any that are going to hold your aircraft down through anything in any soil.
    Last edited by BrettL; 02-19-2013 at 12:20 PM.

  9. #39
    Troy Hamon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tie down anchors

    If your tie down ropes are of sufficient length, even a straight vertical pull at the plane will translate into mostly horizontal pull at the tie-down. Conversely, if your ropes are too short, it will mostly pull vertical even if you push the airplane forward and back. If your ropes fail, it is definitely a goner. But if they are long enough, a horizontal pull anchor will almost always do a better job. This is based on my experience with tents and sandstakes in 60-100 mph winds on the Alaska Peninsula. Only takes a couple bad storms watching how tents survive or don't to completely clarify how pull works on a tent stake...and frankly all these different portable airplane tie-downs are just a reinvention of a tent stake. Some better, and some worse. Abe's is the only one of any of these that truly makes sense to me having watched a lot of stake failures. But at that price I think I will make my own instead.

  10. #40
    BrettL's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tie down anchors

    Quote Originally Posted by Troy Hamon View Post
    If your tie down ropes are of sufficient length, even a straight vertical pull at the plane will translate into mostly horizontal pull at the tie-down.
    Only if the tie down rope is at an angle of less than 45 degrees to horizontal.

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