Cheapie Chocks

Not everything in aviation is expensive - well, ok. maybe it is.  However, you can make yourself a pair of light chocks that cost next to nothing out of PVC fittings and pipe.  The 3/4 pipe 90 degree elbows are 22 cents, the caps are 27 cents, and the 3/4 pipe was 80 cents for 5 feet.  After a little trial and error, I found the best dimensions to fit those big 8.00 x 6 tires for the 801.  The two shorter pieces are 5.5 inches, the longer piece is 8.5 inches.  $2.76 for two chocks that work great!  They are light enough to throw in the plane - only 7.0 ounces apiece.  

Here is one of them in place.  I could shave this even further by leaving off the caps, making them lighter and cheaper, but I figured the ends might get stepped on otherwise.  You could beef them up by using larger diameter pipe and fittings, but you really only need to stop small movement.  If you are worried about larger forces at work, that's what the tie down rings are for.

I saw a photo of something like this on someone else's builder site, but I can't remember whose. If you are the originator of this idea, please let me know so I can give you credit!

Can't leave well enough alone.  For $0.42 more (for the tee and cap) you can include the "manual placement option."  Here it is:

Its the same thing, but a tee has been added in the middle with an eight inch segment of pipe and a cap.  The tee and pipe is at a 45 degree angle.  Makes handling them much easier.  It appears slightly bent in the photo, but that's just the angle of the camera - it is straight across in reality.

Images on this website are either Copyright Zenith Aircraft Company and used by permission or are copyright Gary Liming