Aircraft Jacks and Their Functionality

Aircraft commonly undertake large amounts of stress during standard flight operations, necessitating the need for regular inspections and maintenance. When repairs are conducted, aircraft jacks are essential ground support equipment that allow for the aircraft to be lifted and secured as needed to conduct numerous processes. There exist four common hydraulic jack types that one may use, those of which are the bipod, tripod, quadruped, and axle types. While the tripod and axle jacks are the most popular, all have their own benefits which can make them advantageous for certain operations.

Tripod Aircraft Jack

Aircraft mechanics will often rely on tripod aircraft jacks when there is a need to lift the entire aircraft straight up. As their name suggests, tripod jacks feature three legs that open up outward, and a cylinder and pump assembly is situated in the middle. Due to their construction and capabilities, tripod aircraft jacks should not be relied on for lifting any portion of an aircraft while at an incline as such lateral force can cause damage to the cylinder. Instead, such processes should be carried out with the use of a bipod or quadruped option as the angle will only be around six degrees or less.

Tripod aircraft jacks come in two subtypes, those of which are fixed and variable height types. Fixed height jacks are fairly simplistic, featuring legs that are set at a specific height and are unchangeable. Variable height jacks, on the other hand, allow for extensions to be added and removed from the legs as needed to adjust the overall height of such equipment. Typically, variable height jacks are beneficial when one plans to work on multiple aircraft that are of different heights. If the aircraft are all the same, however, then a fixed height jack is optimal.

Axle Aircraft Jack

Unlike tripod jacks that are designed to lift the entire aircraft, axle jacks are specifically employed to lift up the wheel assembly. Generally, such jacks are used when the mechanic is solely focusing on the wheels, brakes, tires, struts, or other related components. As these assemblies and parts are all located on the ground, there is no need for the entire aircraft to be lifted. As such, axle aircraft jacks are much closer to the jacks that would be used for automobile repairs as compared to a tripod axle jack.

Depending on one’s needs, there are a few different variations of the axle aircraft jack. Hand-carried axle jacks are one type, known to be the lightest of the three primary variations. For their operation, hand-carried axle jacks are manually operated with hydraulic pumps. Horseshoe axle jacks are another commonly used variation, featuring an arm that is powered by two hydraulic cylinders. The final main type is the outrigger axle jack, that of which is the heaviest of the three. For its operations, a hydraulic cylinder is powered by a two-speed pump.

Labeling System

To ensure that you always use the correct jack for a given operation, such equipment should follow a labeling system established by you or your organization. With labels, one should be able to quickly discern the type, weight limit, specific ID number, variation, and the number of extensions that it may support. Generally, tripod jack variations will be labeled as FH or VH for fixed or variable height. For axle jack variations, HC, HS, and OR are used to dictate hand-carried, horseshoe, and outrigger types respectively.

Safety Tips for Aircraft Jacks

Whether one chooses to use an axle jack, tripod jack, or another type, it is always crucial that such equipment is well inspected prior to use. Generally, one should start by checking hydraulic fluid levels, ensuring that fluid is not too low that it will result in damage to the system. Additionally, components such as the hydraulic cylinder should be free of bends or stress, and all joints and jacking flange components must be free of strain and cracking. For the locknuts and fasteners, all should be present and secure. If the jack fails on any of these points, it should not be used as safety cannot be guaranteed to the jack, aircraft, or the individual using them. Similar to the aircraft itself, all ground support equipment should be regularly inspected and maintained to guarantee health and reliability. Additionally, mechanics should ensure that they have the wheel chock holder equipment, earthing cables, and other accessories that they require for operations.

Conclusion

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