Lifting a VariEze

[bmckinney10]

Can someone share the preferred method for jacking up a VariEze to get both mains off the ground?

Thanks!

 

 

[Kent Ashton]

1.  I haven't used this method but I have seen it work on EZs:  put a couple of sawhorses under the leading edge of the strake (with wide support so the horses don't dent the strake skin), then lower the nose. It will lever the main wheels off the ground.  

2.  A 2x4 lever (pic 1) under the strut.  But many axles are angled down at the outboard end so it has to lift high enough (a couple of inches) that you can pull a wheel off.

3. Similar idea (pic 2) which I think is from Vance Atkinson

Edited December 9, 2019 by Kent Ashton

[Marc Zeitlin]

19 minutes ago, Kent Ashton said:

1.  I haven't used this method but I have seen it work on EZs:  put a couple of sawhorses under the leading edge of the strake (with wide support so the horses don't dent the strake skin), then lower the nose. It will lever the main wheels off the ground.

Holy crap - that would scare the bejeezus out of me - I would assume that you're almost guaranteed to damage the strake skins, which are in no way (on any of these planes) meant to support the weight of the aircraft. Also, since the LE of the strake is fwd of the CG of the aircraft, I don't see how this could possibly lift the main gear off the ground - I must be misunderstanding your description.

Here's what _I_ do when I either want to change tires or (during a CI or Pre-Buy) examine the gear attach fitting:

• Get a sawhorse of appropriate height with a 2x4 laid flat on the top (fasten it securely) and then at least 2" of blue foam on top of that to spread the load
• Lift the wing
• Put the sawhorse under the wing spar, just outboard of the wing attach fittings on a VE or between the outboard bolt holes on other canards (leave space to get the wheel off between the axle and the sawhorse)
• Put the wing down
• Do the same on the other side
• If you have electric nose-lift, you can put the two sawhorses under the wings when the nose is down, extend the nose gear, and the plane will jack itself up off the ground

On a VE, I can lift the wing and put the sawhorse in place by myself - with a heavier plane, I need a helper if there's no electric nose gear. Of course, if you have a hydraulic wing jack, you can jack the plane up UNDER THE SPAR further outboard, and then put the sawhorse in place. You could probably do the same with a jack under the gear leg, as Kent shows, and then put the sawhorse under the wing. If you jack under the gear leg, be absolutely sure not to put any force on the brake calipers.

[bmckinney10]

Thanks to you both for the quick replies. I am interested having both mains suspended, so Marc's suggestion is what I will go for.  Just a followup, are you putting the sawhorse support just OUTBOARD of the wing attach?

[Kent Ashton]

32 minutes ago, Marc Zeitlin said:

Holy crap - that would scare the bejeezus out of me

Ha!  Yes, further research shows it was a little different than I recalled--the sawhorses were more under the spar, and it was a Cozy--but I have a source document.     https://groups.google.com/d/msg/cozy_builders/gElusCfnsyo/LfDLlcQ8IcsJ

Then there is this method (also Cozy) from a Mr.  M. Zeitlin.  :-)   https://groups.google.com/d/msg/cozy_builders/47t7NIdves0/RLUpVEfWBQAJ

No idea if this will work on a Vari.  Heck, you can just pick them up and have a buddy shove a sawhorse under the spar, right?

And one more  idea for a support   (pic)

 

 

[bmckinney10]

Thanks Kent.  I was thinking of something like that as a jack.  Just wanted to confirm where the safe lifting points would be.  If the wings are off, I would assume staying on the spar-line would be safe if just inside the wing-attach fitting.

 

[Marc Zeitlin]

4 hours ago, bmckinney10 said:

Thanks Kent.  I was thinking of something like that as a jack.  Just wanted to confirm where the safe lifting points would be.  If the wings are off, I would assume staying on the spar-line would be safe if just inside the wing-attach fitting.

If the wings are on, just outboard of the wing attach fittings (on a VE) is fine - just put the support (with some foam padding) under the spar. If the wings are off, you can put the support under the main spar as long as there's still room to work on the wheels.