To-Do-Item #9 B.A.S. Tailpull Handles

[AR Dave]

Simply start a thread with the subject line: To-Do-List Item #1. Then in the future if you want to consult that list, all that is necessary is to Search for "To-Do-List" and up will pop the whole gamut!

I am proud to say that I have ordered the parts to complete, To-Do-List #9 today:

9. Install B.A.S. tailpull handles (to avoid sideways pressures on the vertical stab. fairing when ground handling. Pushing/Pulling on that vert. stab. fairing cracks the bracket in it's leading edge.

It's just sooo hard for me to part with $200 for things like handles and harnesses. I know Harold, harnesses should be at the top of priority above the CD stereo!

B.A.S website is http://www.basinc-aeromod.com/prod02.htm

Also to view 24 diff discussions on this topic, type BAS into the Search Feature.

[AR Dave]

So excited to show these off... figured this post could go in either the Pilot Lounge or the Hangar...

Just finished installing the tail pull handle! Bought it last year and kept thinking it would be a big deal. The hardest part was getting my mechanic to commit to helping! Me being the skinny one I was inside measuring and fitting. Used a punch to mark the holes on the inside and from the outside my mechanic drilled the holes. Worked perfectly. After alittle over an hour we were done! Was fun worming in and out of the tail!

Thanks for the picture Dan!

[GAHorn]

I mentioned the B.A.S. Tailpull Handles as item #9 purely because that's when I thought of them, but in actuality they are much handier than being #9 on the list. If I didn't have them, I'd do them as one of the first mods performed (probably right after shoulder harnesses.)

[doug8082a]

I waited five years to install mine... what a mistake. The waiting, that is...

[C170BDan]

Dave,

Welcome... glad you found the picture inspirational! Really was a quick job because my mechanic had the process figured out. Like I have said to ALOT of 170 owners... cant believe I waited so long to do it! Sure comes in handy away from the home hangar and on grass at the local fly-ins.

[Jeff Matthews]

What's it like crawling back to look at the bellcrank when the BAS handles are installed? I'd hate to find I couldn't get back there to service the mechanicals. Mine's an A model, without the inspection holes in that area, but all they'd do is let me look--if I had to actually do something, I'd still have to get inside.

So far I've been just nudging the tail into a turn by placing my legbone against the nearest bulkhead, and pulling alternately on the wing struts, but if I ever get to the top of the hangar list I'll need either the BAS rig, or a tailwheel dolly with enough offset that I can use it from in front of the stabilizer.

Jeff

[GAHorn]

If you do not have a proper method of moving the airplane (such as tow-bars, tugs, BAS tailpull handles etc.) ...then as Elmer Fudd says, be "vewwy vewwy kare-fuu" not to push/pull on the vertical stab/dorsal fairing....or you'll crack the small bracket inside where it attaches to the fuselage.
A good way to move the fuselage sideways without the proper equipment is to grab the END of the horiz. stab at it's outer rib (where the elevator counter-weight normally sits in-flight) and PULL it to the opposite side from the END it was grabbed. In other words, to move the tail to the starboard, grab the outboard rib of the port horiz. stab and pull it to the starboard direction. That way you'll avoid stressing your fuselage or tail while you push the aircraft rearwards by the horiz leading edge.

That's an ad-hoc method tho'. The best way is proper tow-bars and/or B.A.S. tailpull handles.

[zero.one.victor]

Maneuvering backward: I usually use my hip against the tailcone in the area of a bulkhead, while I'm standing in front of the horiz stab pushing back on it. Maneuvering forward: I grab the elevator tork tube just on the RH side (the side where the bellcrank isn't) & pull left or right as required while pushing forward, from behind the elevator.
I don't see a problem doing it this way, other than the tork-tube method is a bit awkward. Just don't push/pill on the dorsal, no big deal.
I'm gonna get around to installing a set of BAS pull handles one of these days, it's on my list of things-to-do. (has been for several years )

Eric

[Harold Holiman]

I prefer using a towbar to move my plane. It is easy to use both to push the plane out of the hanger or pull it back into the hanger, or manuver it on the ramp. It collapses to about two feet long so it easily fits in the plane. I doubled the spring tension on the towbar so there would be no chance of it slipping off of the tail wheel while pushing which would cause me to eat the rudder.

Harold
N92CP

[Jeff Matthews]

I'm not sure how pulling on the end of the horizontal stabilizer keeps the loads off of the fuselage--the tailwheel is attached to the fuselage, so whatever it takes to make it caster will eventually be applied through the fuselage. Even with the BAS handles. Once it's out of the steering detent, there's not any side force to speak of.

A good tailwheel dolly, or a strugglestick that picks up the tailwheel axle, would be the best way to move the airplane, better even than the BAS handles (if somewhat less convenient). However, when I borrow a hangar to work on my bird, it's a non-starter because I have to put the tail nav light between two corrugations at the back of the hangar in order to close the hangar door without bumping the spinner. I've tried using a towbar backwards (ie, with the handle forwards) and found it was still a two-person job getting it in and out without losing the nav lights, and tough on the knees to boot.

My big concern, though, is whether the handles interfere with maintenance at that back bulkhead. Mine's an A model, and I've already had to repair cracks in the bellcrank bracket, apparently caused by previous owners letting the elevator drop against the stops. It's pretty tight in there as it is, with the elevator cables taking their half in the middle. But what takes place back there is mighty important and I'd hate to just hose things down with LPS and hope for the best.

Can the BAS handles be mounted with structural machine screws and nuts rather than rivets, against the possibility that I'll have to do something serious someday?

If I ever get into a hangar of my own, I'll probably install the handles, but until that happy day, I may defer them if they impede access.

JM

[GAHorn]

I'm not sure how pulling on the end of the horizontal stabilizer keeps the loads off of the fuselage--the tailwheel is attached to the fuselage, so whatever it takes to make it caster will eventually be applied through the fuselage. Even with the BAS handles. Once it's out of the steering detent, there's not any side force to speak of.
JM

The tailwheel attachment to the fuselage exists when the airplane is manuevered on the ground with brakes while taxying also.
(The problem isn't whether or not the tailwheel detents place stress upon the fuselage. The problem with man-handling the aircraft on the ground is the stress placed upon the aircraft components by forces acting upon small areas....such as hands, knees, thighs, ....pressing against the fuselage in unsupported areas and/or objects such as the dorsal fairing/brackets/etc.) The tailwheel and fuselage are quite capable of accepting changes in movement-direction...the fuselage and structure is just not tolerant of high stresses acting upon small areas.
There is no undue stress on the aircraft when manuevering it by the horiz. end-rib as previously suggested. Any forces are carried thru the fuselage with the horiz. stab. forward spar and the loads are well distributed. This method was not my own idea, but was recommended to me by Cleo Bickford, Aeronautical Engineer (and TIC170A Historian.)
The BAS tailpull handles do the same thing as the horiz. stab. spar.....they spread the loads out over a larger area and transfer it to underlying structure.

[n3437d]

I would like to add a comment, but will start off by saying that I am not an Aeronautical Engineer nor do I portray one on TV or the Internet. I only know what I have seen on both of my 170's. The first being a 1952 with no BAS handle and the later being a 1955 model. Well, vintage is really not a factor nor is having or not having a BAS tail handle installed. What really matters is how "genteel" or careful one is in manhandling a tail dragger on the ground using the horizontal stab. as a maneuvering device.
My former AI (who also owns a 170) saw me moving my plane around on the ground and he quickly but gently reminded me that this waw a "no-no" and proceeded to show me why. He removed the two cover plates on both sides of the vertical where it joins the empenage and horizontal. on my plane you could see hairline cracks that had been repaired using doublers. He explained, "as gentle as one might be ground moving a taildragger using the horizontal the "mover" imparts upwad and downward forces upon the horizontal that travels inward and causes stress and a potential for cracking." My question to him,"why does this not happen when forces are applied to the horizontal while airborne?" Response, the weigth is evenly disrtibuted and lessened by the lifting forces of aerodynamics. Also, the tail wheel is not "attached to the ground."

Also once moving a PA-18 around on the ground using the inboard horizontal as a pusing surface I was told by an observing AI that this imparts undue wear upon the worm gear trim screw.

FWIW.

[N1478D]

Up an incline, rough ground, severe turn radius, etc all influence the degree of difficulty ground handeling a taildragger.

Up an incline or turning sharply for me has been enhanced with a tow dolly that lifts the tailwheel off of the ground. It is at least 10 times easier to use than the standard towbar that you drag the airplane around with.

In daily parking exercises at the FBO it is extremely important for me to position the airplane BEFORE the helpful line person(s) come out and grab the plane anywhere their oily hands fit so they can jerk pull shove, etc 78D into place before the 737 shows up. Pushing and pulling on the strut turns the tailwheel in the desired direction to the point that the line persons are paralized with amazement as 78D follows the painted line in reverse never wavering from straight and true. By pushing on the strut close to the fuselage, the plane tracks straight. If you need her to turn slightly as you push, move further outboard along the strut and you will influence the tailwheel into a slight turn, too much turn just pull back for an instant and the tailwheel will turn in the opposite direction. The strut is close to the door, so when you see the line person(s) heading towards the delicate fin, you have time to jump out and explain that it is easier for one person and the plane came with an auto docking feature - watch this. If they have been a line person anytime at all, two or three of them have wresteled a taildragger for x amount of time and after building up a sweat, they usually have it in the space at a 45 degree angle and leave it there - they just don't have many taildraggers come in. Try the strut, you will like it.

[auxtank]

My big concern, though, is whether the handles interfere with maintenance at that back bulkhead.

Can the BAS handles be mounted with structural machine screws and nuts rather than rivets, against the possibility that I'll have to do something serious someday?

If I ever get into a hangar of my own, I'll probably install the handles, but until that happy day, I may defer them if they impede access.

JM

Jeff, in answer to your question regarding installation of the BAS handles with machine screws, the answer is yes.

Step 7 of the BAS installation instructions, dated March 20, 1987 (revision A dated December 7, 1991), instructs the installer to "fasten [the pull-handle] permanently using either AN470 AD4 rivets or using #6-32 x 3/8" stainless machine screws and AN365 -632 nuts."

My 337 shows I installed BAS handles in my '48 model 170 in 1995. This was immediately following a repair to the rear-most bulkhead in the area of the elevator push tube bracket. Even though I, like you, was concerned about access to the bulkhead for future maintenance, I elected to rivet the handles in place. I agreed with my mechanic that installation with aluminum is preferable from a "like-materials"/corrosion stand point, that the rivet heads are easily touched up with paint to match the fuselage, that rivets provide a more professional appearing installation, and, importantly, that they are easily drilled out when access becomes an issue.

So, Jeff, you can have your cake and eat it too.

I'll add my voice to the chorus of others who have said that the tail-pull handles are one of the best and most useful modifications they have done to their birds. If you think you might spend money on the modification sometime in the future, why not do it now? You and your plane can begin to enjoy the ease and safety that the handles provide.

Every time I have to struggle to move my plane over soft ground, in snow, up an incline, or in a tight hanger I congratulate myself on having installed the handles. Just as importantly, when another person is available to assist with the maneuvering, it is very satisfying to be able to pull out a handle and tell them to grab it. Not having to lecture other pilots (many with more experience than I) about where I want my plane pulled or pushed on is, by itself, worth the price of admission.

Additionally, the discount for Association members, which was available when I purchased my handles, may still be available.

Gordon Sandy
N4002V

[N2865C]

Additionally, the discount for Association members, which was available when I purchased my handles, may still be available.

Gordon Sandy
N4002V

I just ordered my pull handles today, and yes, they still give an Association discount. In fact, without me asking, they also gave me a retroactive Association discount for the harnesses I installed about 6 months ago and took it off the cost of the pull handles. That's good customer service.
jc