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Thread: Make your own tie downs

  1. #1

    Make your own tie downs

    first picture is a piece of angle aluminum 1.25X1.25---.25 thick --1 foot long
    Bought it at a scrap yard cheap
    drilled 4 holes in it and mounted a U bolt in the center
    Placed by hammering 4 long tent stakes into the ground ( note rope attached to help in removal)
    should be placed at a 45 degree offset from the tie down point on the plane
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  2. #2
    You can also go to home depot and by a stanley recessed tie down as pictured below.
    place the tent stakes at different angles---easier than the screw in dog stakes to place and also to remove.
    Kevin

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  3. #3
    Kiwi ZK-CKE's Avatar
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    I'd be careful with that recessed Tie-down Kevin - look at how little material there is between the hole and the edge of the plate. In a decent blow it wouldn't take long for the corners to break off (Once one goes, the whole lot will). I'll stick to my heavier but stronger pickets.
    "If it was supposed to be easy, everybody would be doing it...."

    Proud designer / builder of Avian Adventurer ZK-CKE.

  4. #4
    Joe Delene's Avatar
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    Name:  tie downs 001.jpg
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Size:  95.8 KB Here are my home made tiedowns, 2"X2" aluminum angle.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Kiwi ZK-CKE View Post
    I'd be careful with that recessed Tie-down Kevin - look at how little material there is between the hole and the edge of the plate. In a decent blow it wouldn't take long for the corners to break off (Once one goes, the whole lot will). I'll stick to my heavier but stronger pickets.
    Kiwi ZK-CKE

    Agree--I used those tie downs for 12 years--they held tight through many storms
    I then bought a set of the "claws"--but then I read where several pairs of them failed during the storm at Sun & Fun last year---so I added the second set of home made tie downs shown in the first picture
    SO--with the "claw" tie downs and the home made tie downs, and by making my plane heavy by filling it with fuel, and by putting it on parking boards and then blocking the tires.-I feel I've done about everything I could do to make sure the bonanza stays put.
    Kevin
    PS I'm still at the mercy of some idiot that uses dog stakes and has it attached to the plane with 100 lb test cord---it then gets blown into my plane
    Last edited by Kevin O'Halloran; 06-30-2012 at 11:29 AM.

  6. #6
    Mayhemxpc's Avatar
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    Shoot, the angle iron looks easier to put together than mine. But mine folds up nice.
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  7. #7
    highflyer's Avatar
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    homemade tiedowns

    I got tired of dog stakes many years ago. I use a simple set of tiedowns. I got a short piece of logging chain and cut them into four link pieces. Then using a repair link I pulled them into a loop with one link sticking out on its own. Then I went down to my local farm service store and bought a length or two of plain old 3/8 diameter cold rolled steel rod. Took it home and chopped it into 2 foot long pieces. I bought six foot lengths of rod and each one makes the stakes for one tiedown. Heated it with a torch and bent the rods into an ell with the short leg about 2 inches long.

    To use it, throw the chain loop on the ground under the tie point of the airplane. Then drive one rod into each of three different chainlinks at angles as far from each other as you can get. Imaging making a tetrahedron under the chain. Then tie your tiedown rope into the odd link that sticks out of the loop.

    When you want it out of the ground, I use a tiedown rope and loop the 2 inch ell and pull it in line with the rod. They go in easily, even in hard packed clay, and they come out equally easily. I have never had one come close to tearing out.

    I was in Lakeland that fateful day. It made a lot more difference how the wind hit the airplane than it did what kind of tiedown it had. In general and tiedown that spreads out into undisturbed soil and has parts arranged so that you can't pull all of them lengthwise, it should work, unless you use 16 penny nails for stakes. Use a proper rolling line hitch on you ropes and keep them taut so the airplane can't jerk around and you should be alright.

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