I fly a Husky and would like to know if anyone has a good way to attach a mountain bike to a wing strut.

Split foam insulation and duct tape it to bike frame and then bailing twine.

Tim

Not an expert, nor do I play one on TV, however seeing that I’m down to the label, I’ll take a stab at your question. A cousin’s uncle once transported a dining table and extension ladder tied to the side of a Super Cub (a long time ago, in a land far away) and it flew fine.

It wouldn’t look as cool as a wing mount, but if someone can fly a Cub with a lumber rack attached to the bottom, it seems that one could figure out how to strap a MT Bike in the same place on a Husky.

Duct tape and bail twine is always useful.

I already have a pod under the Husky, so that one won't work but thanks for the idea.
I was wondering if anyone had designed a way to attach a bike to the struts.

Two really big issues: uneven drag and the risk of it coming loose. Umpty ump years ago, when I was stationed in Alaska but before I learned to fly, I had an acquaintance with a 180 on floats. He wrecked it coming off a lake, when shortly after lift off, the canoe his buddy had tied to the float braces came loose and turned sideways, magnifying its drag immeasurably, and he went into the trees at the end of the lake. He said that he'd flown it many times with a canoe on it, and the drag on one side only required a bit of countering aileron and rudder. His lesson: don't let anyone else tie on an exterior load.

Hauling many bicycles on top of my cars and trucks over the years, even aligned with the wind, they create significant drag. With one of the economy cars I had, each bike cost about 2 mpg--with 4 up, its mileage dropped from typical 32 mpg to 24 mpg on the highway.

I've carried 2 folding bikes inside my airplane. That would be my preference, and I would think one folder could be carried inside a Husky.

Cary

Actually, the biggest risk to doing so would be getting into a looooong and painful discussion with the FAA, or the governing agency wherever you're at?

From experience, I can tell you that you can't judge how an external load will fly by looking at it. Trying to secure a bike, with all those moving parts is also going to be a challenge.

Sell the Husky and buy a 182, if you're really in desperate need of bikes at your destination.

MTV

HAHA thanks for the advise. I have a 182 as well but I would rather walk when I get there than sell my Husky. Maybe it can't be done, but I thought if it could, someone on this forum would have done it.

Something like this?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/newps/16275703936/

The flicker pic didn't open

It's been done. The picture I saw was of a cub or a husky with a mountain bike zip tied to the outside of the strut. Looks like it was flying just fine. To protect the strut from rubbing this guy had hand towels or pieces of cloth. I would go with rubber and/or duct tape or foam as mentioned.

they guy had not even remove the wheels and seat post. Those could easily go into the plane to reduce some drag and weight.

Good luck

Now this is a beaver and not a husky but....

Actually it's an Otter. I remember seeing a Supercub from Oregon about thirty years ago that the guy had a Honda 70 or something similar right up against the left side of the fuselage. Had a little ramp to get it up and one wheel was ahead of the lift struts and one wheel behind---he was up at Spirit Lake Iowa camping.

How about something like this? http://www.adventureflightsgoldenbay.co ... ry.html#54

NZMaule wrote:How about something like this? http://www.adventureflightsgoldenbay.co ... ry.html#54

Dammit - I spent the last hour searching for that photo and one other very similar with the hard points on the right wing. Very cool, but could make it hard to spot traffic!

Thanks guys

CapnMike wrote:

NZMaule wrote:How about something like this? http://www.adventureflightsgoldenbay.co ... ry.html#54

Dammit - I spent the last hour searching for that photo and one other very similar with the hard points on the right wing. Very cool, but could make it hard to spot traffic!

Yeah, and it's pretty crazy, too. It would be crazier only if they'd mounted them on top.

Cary

Mit is on this site, perhaps he can shed some light on the approval process? Maybe it had approved racks from back in the day dropping fencing and building supplies. There's plenty of other photos on his website of bikes being carted around the NZ backcountry, much of his business is dropping of MTB'ers in remote locations. Go the 185!!!!

Stolhunter wrote:The flicker pic didn't open

Forgot to unlock it, try it now.

NZMaule wrote:Mit is on this site, perhaps he can shed some light on the approval process? Maybe it had approved racks from back in the day dropping fencing and building supplies. There's plenty of other photos on his website of bikes being carted around the NZ backcountry, much of his business is dropping of MTB'ers in remote locations. Go the 185!!!!

Yeah, just found this one as well.

I miss my AZTEC! Amps, guitars, drums, surfboards, bicycles! And decent to great STOL for a twin (and no spar AD's). God bless PIPER!