Utah Soaring Association Pilatus B-4
Rigging and De-Rigging
Utah Soaring Association
Rev. 00
12/2018
Remove the wing nut from the threaded post found protruding through the aluminum angle
on the right end of the red painted trolley base. (Immediately “capture” this wing nut with
the clip found on the short chain located adjacent – don’t “carry this away” either.)
Position a person inside to stabilize the front of the trolley as it is removed, and to
closely
monitor the clearance between the nine inch “spike” protruding from the bottom
of the horizontal stabilizer and the vertical tail-plane. It may be necessary to “tip”
the trolley a bit towards the right side of the trailer as the “spike” moves past the
vertical fin and rudder! Important, so watch this one closely
! Extract the tail-plane
trolley, and maneuver to position directly alongside the left side of the trailer, such that the
carabiner on the lanyard on the center top of the trolley may be hooked into the tab with
the hole in it on this side of the trailer.
Extraction of the fuselage and preparation for assembly:
Remove the tie-down rope or strap from around the tail boom: lift the tail out of the tail
wheel holder, and pull the fuselage on its dolly back and out of the trailer. Position far
enough away such as to provide “maneuvering room” for the wings as they are removed
from the trailer.
Remove the canopy and turtle deck cover, and position in a safe place well away from the
“working area” (suggest alongside the right side of the trailer).
Clean up the wing attach fittings on the fuselage to remove old grease and collected “road
dirt.” And (and getting just bit ahead here), clean those same fittings on the wing spars.
Clean, and lightly grease the assembly pins (white lithium Lubriplate), and have “ready to
hand” for glider assembly (suggest on a towel in the pilot’s seat).
Lift the tail boom as necessary to be able to extend the main wheel to the “down locked”
position (harder to do later with the wing weight on the glider).
Extraction of the wings, and assembly onto the fuselage
:
Have two wing stands appropriately ready to position under the tips as the wings are
positioned to assemble on the glider.
Position a person inside the trailer alongside the wing tip roller support dolly to closely
monitor this support (and assist if necessary) as each wing is extracted from the trailer.
What is this person watching out for? Three things: First, that the dolly follows the
wing as it is extracted (that is, that the wing does not “slip” in the dolly). Second,
that the dolly does not tilt while transiting the metal seam plates between the
guide rails that may tend to “trip up” the wheels under the dolly. And lastly, that
the dolly wheel remains within the
“white marked”
rail guides as the wing comes
out.
Note that there is a necessary interruption in these guide rails to permit passage of the
fuselage dolly wheels. Thus, the
white marked
wing tip dolly guide rails are in two sections:
forward and aft.
