My Kis Cruiser - Fuselage Delivery

N247BR

FUSELAGE KIT DELIVERY

The call came the day before from the shipping company. They had a delivery for me and wanted to know how high my delivery dock was and did I have a fork truck available? After I got over my laughter, I informed them the delivery was to be made to my home and there definitely was no loading dock or fork truck available. There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. Then, the guy started muttering a few unrepeatable statements and proceeded to describe the size of the box and how much it weighed. Then I started muttering a few equally unrepeatable statements and proceeded to describe how I thought we might be able to unload it. What is that old saying about the best laid plans of mice and fools?

I stayed home from work the next day to receive my little package. I know the guy warned me about how big it was but I was still shocked when I saw it. After all, it was just the fuselage kit which did not include the wings or the horizontal stabilizer. It looked like a small house inside that truck. Now what was that plan for unloading it again? There wasn't going to be any help from friends and neighbors, it was the middle of the week and everybody was at work. It was upto the truck driver and me to unload a house from that bobtail truck.
Oh, what fun!

I had some chain and several good stout ropes to work with. My plan was to loop the rope around some large stout tree trunks and hook it to the box and pull the truck from under the box. The first problem was the lack of a good place to tie onto the box. We tried to tie the ropes around one end at the bottom. Worked ok for about a foot or two of movement but then slid off the bottom. The loops around the trees were too low.

We then moved the ropes up in the trees so that the ropes were higher than the bottom of the box. Next, we wrapped a chain around the bottom frame of the box and nailed it in place to keep it from slipping and tied the ropes to it. This seemed to work well as we pulled the truck forward until the box was almost clear of the truck bed. The driver then lowered the hydraulic lift on the truck to lower the whole box to ground level. The truck was again pulled forward to pull the lift bed from under the box and it was out and in the driveway. WE DID IT! But it was a long way from my garage.

The only thing to do from there was break open the box, and unload it one piece at a time. I spend the remainder of the day unloading the box and carrying all the components into the garage, the house, the greenhouse, and anyplace else I could find to store the parts. I took inventory as I went to ensure that everything on the BOM was accounted for.

Lastly, I proceeded to disassemble the box. Did they have to use every nail and staple they could find to hold the box together? There had to be twenty pounds of nails alone. It took several hours to take it apart and get all the nails and brads out. The shipping container was well built and protected the contents well. I hope to make good use of some of the spare materials too.

Just a few of the parts laid out for inventory purposes.

Well, it's all in the garage, and the closets, and under the beds, and anywhere else I could find to store the parts. Now where is the instruction manual for building this thing?

I had some chain and several good stout ropes to work with. My plan was to loop the rope around some large stout tree trunks and hook it to the box and pull the truck from under the box. The first problem was the lack of a good place to tie onto the box. We tried to tie the ropes around one end at the bottom. Worked ok for about a foot or two of movement but then slid off the bottom. The loops around the trees were too low.
	We then moved the ropes up in the trees so that the ropes were higher than the bottom of the box. Next, we wrapped a chain around the bottom frame of the box and nailed it in place to keep it from slipping and tied the ropes to it. This seemed to work well as we pulled the truck forward until the box was almost clear of the truck bed. The driver then lowered the hydraulic lift on the truck to lower the whole box to ground level. The truck was again pulled forward to pull the lift bed from under the box and it was out and in the driveway. WE DID IT! But it was a long way from my garage.
	The only thing to do from there was break open the box, and unload it one piece at a time. I spend the remainder of the day unloading the box and carrying all the components into the garage, the house, the greenhouse, and anyplace else I could find to store the parts. I took inventory as I went to ensure that everything on the BOM was accounted for.
Lastly, I proceeded to disassemble the box. Did they have to use every nail and staple they could find to hold the box together? There had to be twenty pounds of nails alone. It took several hours to take it apart and get all the nails and brads out. The shipping container was well built and protected the contents well. I hope to make good use of some of the spare materials too.
	Just a few of the parts laid out for inventory purposes.
Well, it's all in the garage, and the closets, and under the beds, and anywhere else I could find to store the parts. Now where is the instruction manual for building this thing?