There are
plenty of non-adjustable jack pads on the market, but the problem is that
you'll never know where on the gear the pad will slip onto.
Imagine my surprise when I bought a
non-adjustable jack for my 150 and 172 and it didn't fit EITHER of them.
Well, it did, but right where my foot step is located (on both planes)
rendering the product useless. Worse, the taper of the product wasn't
correct, so even if it DID slide onto the landing gear (which it didn't),
you couldn't utilize all the mating surfaces anyhow. You know what I'm
talking about. You probably bought one, hated it and that's what led you to my
site.
What a waste of money
that was. These goofy things are still for sale on eBay to this day.
So I have designed this adjustable jack
pad that will allow you to place it on the gear leg with many more options. Near the
wheel or near the fuselage, it doesn't matter!
For the uninitiated, you place this under
your landing gear and bring a normal mechanic's floor jack up to the
product. The landing gear will fit into the adjustable, tapered design and
you'll be able to raise the plane in a safe, efficient manner.
Furthermore, since the adjustable
side of the adapter can rotate, it doesn't matter what the taper is
of your landing gear. The adapter will sit flush and create a perfect fit,
every time.
The product is 3/16" solid steel, CNC
machined and
powder-coated. The included strip of rubber goes between the jack pad and your landing gear,
in an attempt to help save your paint. The adapter is compatible with
most tricycle aircraft having flat spring steel landing gear (Cessna 150, 172, 182,
etc). This pad definitely works on flat-gear straight tail Cessnas since
I've owned two of them.
Do NOT buy for tailwheel aircraft. Your TW
gear sits at a steeper angle and this pad won't work. Unless you plan on
fabricating a top plate to sandwich the gear between, don't buy this. It's
not returnable.
My Jack Pads are in use at the following
institutions:
The US Army.
At least two national FBO chains.
At least one major engine overhauler and STC-holder. You've
heard of them.
Various flight schools.
Countless independent A&P's and IA's.
Free USA Shipping. Worldwide Shipping at
$20 for one jack, any additional ship for free.
A batch going to Aircraft Spruce.
Want to save $10? See the
Unfinished box
below.
FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: These don't look very stable. A: They are, if you buy them for the aircraft they're
designed for. Which is most early tricycle Cessna singles with the flat spring
gear. They *may* fit other aircraft, but they're untested. I have sold hundreds
of these, every last one made by me, and the only returns have been from the
people who didn't read this page thoroughly. Don't buy them for taildraggers. At
least not yet. I have a sandwich plate idea I'm working on which should increase
compatibility.
Q: The piece that touches the floor
jack looks crooked and might slip. A: I had to find an angle that worked with the most
aircraft. Some models, it's straight down, others it's a bit canted. This is why
you need to use a piece of wood between the jack pad and the floor jack. It's a
good idea to have something for the jack pad's neck (as I call it) to bite into.
You also want to raise the plane slowly and carefully, and give it a solid rock
back and forth (to check stability) while it's an inch off the ground.
Q: The adjustment holes look too close together and weak. A: The majority of the stresses on the jack pad, when
in use, are vertical. The angle pieces just hold it in place. Those are 3/8"
holes in 3/16" solid steel. It's strong, I promise you. I have, to this day,
received not a single email claiming defect or failure.
Q: Is your jack pad compatible with _________? A: I have tried to blindly (no access to the buyer's
plane) build customer-requested pads before, with poor results. I'm sticking to
with what you see in the photos. I am going to make a top plate that bolts and
sandwiches your gear leg to the pad. This will significantly increase rigidity
and should even work on tailwheel. Stay tuned.
Q: This website looks sketchy as hell. A: Perhaps. But you'll notice it loads fast and on any
device made since the Internet came into existence. I code for simplicity and
speed. My main business site is the same way. I, alone, machine hundreds of
parts. I don't have the time to learn every new web dev tool out there.
Q: What's the turnaround time on shipment? A: 2-3 days normally. Sometimes same day. I understand
people often buy these when their plane is torn apart for annual. As I type
this, four went out yesterday, one of which was same day shipment, the other
three waited one day.
Q: Can I buy these through Aircraft Spruce? A: I used to send bulk quantities to them, but I literally could not keep up
with demand. What a problem to have, right? They were selling them for over $100
and I still couldn't keep up. If I find the time to get 100 of these pre-built,
maybe I'll put them in their warehouse again.
Q: Are you a pilot? A: Yes, a 900 hr PPL IR with about 875 of those hours
in my 150, then 172. My personal plane is a straight tail 172 with a brand new
interior, 430W, couple G5's and STEC 30.
$10 CHEAPER
UNFINISHED OPTION
If you absolutely do not care at all about how
the jack pad looks, I can send it to you unpainted.
You will receive an ugly, dirty,
greasy, bare metal
jack pad that honestly looks horrible, but will work 100% the same as above.
I'm saving finishing work, you're saving $10.
It's on you to degrease and paint it
yourself. Or, leave it bare metal with a sheen of WD40 protecting the steel.
Unfinished examples. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Engraving and rental service not available
with the Unfinished model.
RENTALS!
$45 RENTAL SERVICE!
For USA buyers only, if you need to use the
jack pad just temporarily, take advantage of my rental service.
1. Pay the full price at
$69.99.
2. Receive
jack pad, instructions and return label in the mail.
3. Use jack pad as much as you want, for 30
days.
4. When finished, repackage
jack pad with included materials and affix included prepaid label.
5. Drop off at any post office (they'll also pick up).
6. I receive the return and
credit your card $25.
Want to keep it? It's all yours. Let me know you don't want to return it so
I can take it out of rotation and your card will remain billed at full price.
