Cargo Net/Tiedowns

[blaine beaven]

Happy HoHos to everyone,

I purchased a '78J this fall and am really enjoying it. In my experience, most GA aircraft have minimal to poor tiedown points in the cargo area. I prefer to have a barrier type net when possible, or at the least a cargo net to keep me from wearing my baggage in a crash.

What came in the plane, and I understand is standard, is two straps bolted to the floor which I believe I am supposed to wrap over my gear and tie them up. This seems less than perfect.

I have many great (to me) ideas about how I would want to modify the plane with more tie down rings from the airframe, but I am limited by the requirement for an STC here in Canada. I envy the 337 system in the USA. Is anyone aware of an STC'd cargo restraint system for our Mooneys?

Thanks!

Blaine

[Hank]

You should be able to use the cargo net of your choice, as long as you:

1) don't permanently attach it

2) use the same cargo attach points

3) stay within the 120 lb baggage area weight limit

The net will then just be another piece of cargo. Right?

[blaine beaven]

You should be able to use the cargo net of your choice, as long as you:

1) don't permanently attach it

2) use the same cargo attach points

3) stay within the 120 lb baggage area weight limit

The net will then just be another piece of cargo. Right?

Those are all correct Hank, the issue I have is that the cargo attach points are in quite a poor place - near the centre of the baggage area floor. Ideal cargo attach points should be at the edge/corners of the cargo area in my opinion.

Blaine

[Hank]

Huh. I have four attach points for a cheesy set of four straps. They are sort of in the corners. I'll take pictures when I get back if you want.

Makes me wonder why they changed?

[Marauder]

Those are all correct Hank, the issue I have is that the cargo attach points are in quite a poor place - near the centre of the baggage area floor. Ideal cargo attach points should be at the edge/corners of the cargo area in my opinion.

Blaine

Mine are located like yours. Have a 1975 F model.

[N601RX]

It would be nice to mount an aluminum rail along the front and back of luggage rack. Something kind of like is used on luggage racks so you can slide and attach as many tiedown points as needed and position them where needed.

[jkhirsch]

Are you guys planning on crashing?

[Hank]

Are you guys planning on crashing?

No, but sometimes I hit turbulence and don't want things shifting around, or when traveling with my wife, I don't want the mountain in back to fall over on me (can't pack it tight enough against the roof).

[aviatoreb]

Are you guys planning on crashing?

 

So I take it you don't wear seat belts when you are flying since you are planning on not crashing, right?  :-O

[jkhirsch]

Seatbelts? Is that an option Mooneys?

[blaine beaven]

Huh. I have four attach points for a cheesy set of four straps. They are sort of in the corners. I'll take pictures when I get back if you want.

Makes me wonder why they changed?

Thank you for the offer of pictures but I am stuck with what I have.

Cheers,

Blaine

[JaredDavis]

On my 65C the front straps can be repositioned to any of the baggage floor bolts since the bolts and nut plates are identical.

 

The rear strap locations are fixed near the center by the dedicated nut plates.

[Joe Zuffoletto]

I'd love to find a good cargo net solution. More than once I've hit turbulence over the Rockies strong enough to send luggage into the back seat (and once even the front seat by way of the windscreen!), and I haven't figured out a completely reliable way to keep it in place with the crummy tie-down straps Mooney provides.

[kmyfm20s]

In my last J I took off the straps and replaced them with some D-loops that had swivel tabs. I used the same bolts through the tabs to hold them down. It still doesn't help with the placment of where Mooney put the bolts but gave me better lashing options. In my previous 182 I have taken a few beating with camping gear that wasn't secured very well.

[Awqward]

No, but sometimes I hit turbulence and don't want things shifting around, or when traveling with my wife, I don't want the mountain in back to fall over on me (can't pack it tight enough against the roof).

When traveling with my wife there is so much stuffed in back that it becomes self securing against the roof!

[jkhirsch]

I usually try to put people in the back seats to form a nice barrier from the luggage.

[aaronk25]

I'd love to find a good cargo net solution. More than once I've hit turbulence over the Rockies strong enough to send luggage into the back seat (and once even the front seat by way of the windscreen!), and I haven't figured out a completely reliable way to keep it in place with the crummy tie-down straps Mooney provides.

The only reason that is happening is your IAS is somewhere north of 180tks at that high altitude. Sure keep rubbing it in.....us J drivers indicate about 110kts way up high where we don't have to worry about turbulence as at that snail speed my bird plows though the air like my old 18'000lbs 37' searay does though waves.

I got to get me a acclaim.......

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[N601RX]

For maximum flexibility it would be nice if the baggage floor was floored with a couple of strips of this aluminum T slot plate. The tiedown points could then quickly positioned wherever needed.