I'm looking for ideas for a stinger rope attach for my 185 while on floats.

Thought about making something elaborate, then thought about just a bolt holding a link inside the tube to tie a rope through.

Pics would be great

Thanks

My 180 has an eyebolt as one of the two holding the tailwheel head on, to use when tying down the tail. I've seen skywagons with the t/w removed but that eyebolt reinstalled (with washers as required) for a stinger rope. Or maybe just use a regular aircraft eye bolt with a ring, snap, or whatever.

At the Alaksa Airmen's show somebody was selling a stainless pipe with ring fittings and grab handles. The idea was that it replaces the heavier tubular tail spring when on floats, has added functionality, and doesn't corrode. Sorry- I didn't get the name.
-DP

Run a heavy piece of control cable up the tube with a nicopressed loop on either end. Make one loop just large enough to fit up the tube and allow for the the tail wheel attach bolt to pass through (thus holding the cable in the stinger). The second loop starts just beyond the end of the stinger and is encased in fuel hose of the appropriate diameter (to give more bearing surface when pulling on and preventing any "stickers" from poking into your hand). Make this second, "hand loop" large enough for a gloved hand to fit through.

This works really well and it's strong. You can run a rope through the "hand loop" for tying ashore for short periods but
I would not rely on it as a single anchoring point when healed up on the beach for long periods. You can pull on it as much as you like without hurting anything though.

Cheap, strong, and takes about 5 minutes to make. "Works good-Lasts long time".

There are two bolt holes through the tubular tail spring. When you go to floats, simply replace one of those bolts with an eyebolt. Attach your tail rope to that.

Simple and cheap. Oh, and don't bother with an AN eyebolt.....it's not structural.

I've put several thousand hours on one of those.

MTV

Decided to do the simple eyebolt plan.
Then a snap clip on the end of a rope that can be easily removed.

Perhaps I will build a more sophisticated setup next winter

Thanks everyone for your input.