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Europa-List: closed trailer [was Water Wings?]

Subject: Europa-List: closed trailer [was Water Wings?]
From: Rowland & Wilma Carson <rowil@clara.net>
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2003 17:39:46


>I did consider a closed trailer but was concerned about the windage and
>possible problems I might encounter towing in a strong sidewind.
>
>Have you found this a problem at all

Richard - I towed my closed trailer from Gloucestershire to Yorkshire 
to pick up my stage 2 & 3 kits. That was just over 230 miles each 
way, mostly on motorway & dual-carriageway. I had put old carpets and 
other packing stuff in the nose for the outbound journey, but still 
found that it was a bit twitchy at the legal limit of 60mph - passing 
lorries tended to suck out the back end and start a tendency to 
snake. In the interests of safety I did not exceed 55mph and found it 
was fine at that speed. On the way back, (although the fuselage & 
wings do not seem to weigh that much when you're loading them) things 
felt much more stable and I could cruise at 60mph comfortably 
(gradients permitting).

My trailer was made by Roger Huttlestone of Northwick Manufacturing 
near Moreton-in-Marsh (01386 700709) for a monowheel Europa, with OMO 
rigging gear. It's a steel ladder chassis with a glass-fibre 
(polyester resin) "covered wagon" top (composite D-section hoops, 
laid-up sheet wrapped over). It is about 8.5m from hitch to tailgate, 
with the single axle about 5.8m back from the hitch.

I have found it very helpful as a store for parts I'm not working on, 
and the plan is that it will be the hangar when the aeroplane is 
finished.

regards

Rowland
-- 

| Wilma & Rowland Carson <http://home.clara.net/rowil/>
| <rowil@clara.net>          ... that's Rowland with a 'w' ...




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