Jump to content

Cozy IV - project - Transportation help


Recommended Posts

Looks and sounds like a successful move. You have a lot of work remaining, but this is a great jump.

On 12/31/2017 at 8:09 AM, montun23 said:

I just grin every time I think of the project and I wonder if I am getting ahead of myself...  :rolleyes:

I feel like that often. I think it takes completing and flying to have that feeling go away, I hope.  :)

Jon Matcho :busy:
Builder & Canard Zone Admin
Now:  Rebuilding Quickie Tri-Q200 N479E
Next:  Resume building a Cozy Mark IV

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...
  • 3 years later...

Advice requested.

I am about to inspect and (fingers crossed) purchase a Cozy Mk IV project that would have to be trailered 1200 miles.  The fuselage has the canopy and spar installed however the strakes have not yet been started.  Wings and canard have also been completed. 

Question:  Would you try to trailer this project out of New England (I-95, I-81, I-40) and obtain/pay for all of the oversized load permits or cut the spar out of the plane and reinstall it at home.  I can bring a reciprocating saw and/or oscillating saw to do the job, but I've got some reservations about how long it would take to remove the spar and how difficult it would be to put it back in the fuselage later.  The wings have already been drilled to the spar, if that matters.  

At issue here is the stress factor - sweat the drive home or sweat the disassembly/reassembly.  The owner has towed it cross country before but I'm not sure I want to risk hitting every traffic barrel in narrow construction zones, etc.  The small trailer I'd be using would require the landing gear bow to be removed.  I estimate the spar would be no more than 4' above the roadway.  Suggestions, personal experiences welcomed!

 

Thanks,

Trevor

IMG_20191021_164612.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I recently successfully transported a Long EZ from California to Denver (see images).  No issues. 

What's the span on a Cozy spar?  The Long EZ's is 9.5ft.  I didn't pull wide load permits due to the hassle involved of doing it for each state I had to pass thru.  I just had red flags installed at the widest point of the load.  Never got stopped or hassled - even when the towing vehicle had a radiator fan blade fail and blow out the radiator in the middle of the Mojave desert.  Two California highway patrol officers stopped to help and never said a word about the trailer width.

Jeff

PXL_20220527_194702408.jpg

PXL_20220528_020021551.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, TrevorH said:

I can bring a reciprocating saw and/or oscillating saw to do the job [and cut out the centerspar]

Ha!  No I wouldn't do that.  Here are some pics I saved.  Folks have trailered them flat with no problems but if I were you, I'd build a frame that will support the aircraft on its side, nose down, or on a 45 deg. angle.   Until the strakes are added, I'd be a little cautious about putting a lot of stress on the centerspar attachment.  I think I would support the airplane on its side

CozyTransport1.jpeg

CozyTransport.JPG

Screen Shot 2022-08-24 at 6.10.26 AM.png

2046184943_IMG_43161.JPG.ef6afb03ac6a43d164185a8f72aac655.JPG

DSCN5187.JPG.5311866f52c14f6532818c76c6ff4094.JPG

IMG_0220.JPG.ea73824160524197060a2a3353097ec4.JPG

  • Like 1

-Kent
Cozy IV N13AM-750 hrs, Long-EZ-85 hrs and sold

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Cozy MK IV spar is 11 1/2 feet. Wide load permits are required beyond 8.5’. 
 

I’m not so worried about pulling that spar after seeing some of those ‘creative’ loading method photos. There’s no way I would have tried some of those configurations!

 Thanks for the opinions!

 Trevor

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, TrevorH said:

There’s no way I would have tried some of those configurations!

...and then there's most that are thinking "there's no way I would cut the spar out".

Take the gear off and just rig it so it's at an angle. What's the big deal? Those trailering solutions are well-done and got the job done.

Jon Matcho :busy:
Builder & Canard Zone Admin
Now:  Rebuilding Quickie Tri-Q200 N479E
Next:  Resume building a Cozy Mark IV

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I passed on the project. It seems someone else had previously tried to remove the spar on this Mk IV and gave up. It had only been floxed in and none of the Bid reinforcements had been installed. Here”s what I found inside the fuse at the forward lower front face of the spar. Someone went wild with a Sawzall and sliced the spar.  The other issues with this project were too numerous to list. I’m back on the hunt for a worthwhile Cozy Mk IV project.   

 

FE727635-D343-4E6B-B88E-439954FD7B21.jpeg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, TrevorH said:

Well, I passed on the project. It seems someone else had previously tried to remove the spar on this Mk IV and gave up. It had only been floxed in and none of the Bid reinforcements had been installed. Here”s what I found inside the fuse at the forward lower front face of the spar. Someone went wild with a Sawzall and sliced the spar.  The other issues with this project were too numerous to list. I’m back on the hunt for a worthwhile Cozy Mk IV project.   

My non-engineer opinion: If they didn't slice into the UNI spar caps, the spar could be repaired there.  Hard to say, though, without seeing what else is wrong.  In that particular area there are a lot more BID layups.  If worse, maybe the price justifies hauling the spar to the dump and building a new one.  We must think creatively.    🙂   I can't believe why the seller allowed someone to do that without cash-in-hand.  Guessing that the current owner is not the original builder.

-Kent
Cozy IV N13AM-750 hrs, Long-EZ-85 hrs and sold

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information