I flew my first external load with the C180 this week. The precut plywood pieces were strapped to the float struts with four ratchet straps and some 3" screws were driven through the sheets to keep them together. The twenty minute flight went well and the load didn't shift. The plane pulled to the right a bit because of the extra drag on that side.

Anybody else fly external loads such as canoes, boats, moose antlers etc.? What works and what doesn't?

We used to fly boats with the single Otters. Always put the bow of the boat toward the tail of the aircraft...it flies like crap pointed the other way!
JH

Just a suggestion, but you might try flat on your spreader bars, Might work better for you.
Maybe some one else can speak a little more advice. and always bow back, stern ahead!
GT

I thought about using the spreader bars, but in comparison they are harder to access for loading and unloading.

I have heard that flying with external loads creates turbulance that beats up the empenage and causes accumulated damage to things like hinges and jack screws. Hauling a boat would probably cause more turbulance than sheets of plywood.

I often carry my 8' Port-a-bote strapped to the struts. I put it on the pilot's side as it is easier for me to get out than my wife. In cruise I have a yaw situation that requires constant rudder inputs but no other issues on takeoff or landing.

I too would recommend putting plywood on the spreader bars, but...if it flys okay, keep doing what you're doing.

The key to flying external loads is that you are a TEST PILOT any time you do so. Some loads fly better than they look, some are just plain ugly--far worse than they look.

Be VERY careful about all up weight of the plane when an external load is aboard. STAY FAR away from maximum gross weight when operating with external loads. High weight changes the angle of attack of the plane, changes the airflow over the tail, and can reduce rudder effectiveness. Some of the ugliest external loads I've carried were "good loads" attempted at high weights.

I carry plywood strapped crossways on top of the floats, with ratchet straps around the plywood and the spreader bars. This keeps the plywood far enough forward that it doesn't affect the tail much.

I wouldn't worry too much about wear and tear on hinges--I seriously doubt you'll be carrying enough external loads to cause any serious damage there. I flew a 185 with external loads several hundred hours and we never touched the tail feathers.

And, for those NOT in Canada, carriage of external loads is pretty seriously frowned upon, except in Alaska, where there is a specific (and excellent) policy on carriage of external loads, and in a VERY few other locales in the lower 48. Check with the local feds before you launch off with an external load.

MTV

Awesome thread, nofate!
Thanks for posting this!

17 full sheets of 5/8 plywood

Here's another relevant thread from a few years back:

http://www.backcountrypilot.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=1799

hey nofate, i'm new to this board, i've flown in the canadian north for years.........donc has some good advice to heed........we used to fly anything and everything externally tho now i think they're clamping down.........bulkier loads on the beaver should have no other weight in a/c, i well remember flying a 14' aluminum boat on the side of the beaver a few times and it was all i could do to maintain altitude.......... ask lots of questions!

I know a guy who lost a 12ft boat off a 185! sumhow it missed the tail, lucky for him it came away clean ,probly wouldn't have survived if he had ended up towing it. (mabe this should be in the dumb things my buddy did thread)

Saw a guy shuck a load of plywood over Spenard in Anchorge. FAA said no more external loads over town.

External load operations in Alaska are consider operations in the Restricted category. Restricted category operations prohibit operations over congested areas with some exceptions.

Coming out of FAI with an external load, I always launched to the south, to stay away from civilization.

MTV

CCurrie,

Care to expound on what was the cause of losing the boat? A buddy of mine is going to do something similar this coming summer with his 185 and 12 ft Port-a-Bot. I am sure he plans on using lots of rachet straps and putting the transom end forward, but in case he is missing something, past problems others had can be useful information. I will make sure to pass it on and will grill Floatflyer as the time gets nearer. Steve

patrol guy wrote:

Ya can haul the other way too. Never moved at all, even during a couple of bouncy off airport landings.
It would be cool to figure out a way to haul a bike that loads and unloads quickly, like hooks under the struts..

If you've got the money, we've got the time!

Now that is an external load!! Sort of surprised the wings aren't strapped on the other side.

An old friend of mine had an air to air photo of a SeaAir turbine Beaver on floats with an entire Cessna 185 strapped to it. Fuselage on one side, wings and floats on the other, engine/prop inside, etc. It was an impressive looking load. He said they moved it from somewhere out on the Alaska Peninsula into ANC. Said he wanted NO part of ANY turbulence, so went up to 180.

THAT was an ugly looking load, and he said it flew uglier.

MTV