The Suitcase
The suitcase is a commercial case  19" x 14" x 10" from Beacon Worldwide. It is made of high impact plastic ,has locking latches, wheels and a pull handle. So that's what I ended up using. One small design detail about these cases. Even though the dimensions were given as "inside" dimensions, they neglect to tell you that items such as wheels and pull handles protrude inside these dimensions. This almost resulted in a re-design of the elevation box.
Everything goes inside the suitcase along with some packing foam.

You'll need to use some ingenuity getting everything to fit.  Be sure to watch how loads get carried once everything is loaded in.  Breaking the mirror due to handling loads is generally a bad idea.

Empty Case
I wanted to build an internal frame around the optics to help support them.  To do that I had to cut out the sides so the frame would fit over the wheel wells of the case.

This little device allowed me to transfer the shape of the wheel well to the board for cutting.

You can also see how the azimuth base runners straddle the handle well.

Whell Well Pattern
Now the telescope frame is in place. Note the two strips nailed and glued to the inside wall on the right of the frame.  These help carry vertical loads transmitted through the elevation box and keeps them away from the optics.

Telscope Box
Now the base and settings circles are in place.  These are pretty heavy and can slide back and forth with vertical loads on the suitcase.

Any vertical loads are carried by the box and not the optics.

Base in the case
The portable table is now loaded.   It just sits on top of the azimuth bas and setting circles.

This fills up the left side (also the top) of the suitcase.

Table Loaded
Now the telescope optics are in place protected by foam, plastic bags and the inside box.

I've also placed the sides of the elevation box on top of the table and a bag of screws.

 

Telescope Loaded
This completes the packing.  The elevation box sets on top of the telescope frame.  It is held in place by the packing foam.  The C-clamp, eyepiece, screwdriver and telescope bar all fit on top of this piece of foam.  A similar piece is in the lid.  When the lid closes everything is held securely in place.

Case fully loaded
Yes it does close.  Nothing rattles, and so far nothing's broken.  I still have not trusted it to United Airlines, but I'm pretty confident that I could.

I normally allow about 1/2 hour to unpack and assemble.  Two-star alignment is another 1/2 hour.

It can be 15 min.  The real time savor is to make sure you can find your alignment stars and that they will be visible from your observing location.

Total weight is 36 lbs.

Case Closed

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