New struts on 1940 BL65

[ddrewry]

Installing new struts from Wag Aero...the rear struts are a pain to get on!

The front struts were easy however with the rear struts attached at the outboard end the natural no pressure alignment of the inboard end falls several inches aft of the fuselage bracket. I did get them installed by connecting inboard at the fuselage first and them forcing the outboard end into the wing fitting - with lots of cussing, a punch for alignment, and a rubber mallet!

I'm trying to determine if this is the normal fit or if Wag Aero sent me some bad struts??? The part numbers on the struts do say they are applicable to the "B" model TCraft...

I'm worried about too much pressure/binding on the rear wooden spar because of the misalignment. Whats normal?

Thanks, Doug
713-206-3160

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: New struts on 1940 BL65

I had the same problem with my first set of struts. WAG said they were set up on their fixture but I had 3 or 4 sets of corroded struts and all went in with no drama. I ended up sending them back to WAG and they re-checked them after which they fit fine. I think there may be an occasional temperature or "bad day" problem. Remember when they used to say never buy a car built on a Monday or a Friday? Twenty percent of defects are on cars built then! (Think about that before you jump in. 20% of all sick call ins are on Monday and Fridays too) ;-),
Hank

Anyway, once I got them back, they fit fine. You DO NOT want to put them in with a bind on them! You could split the spar!

[ddrewry]

Re: New struts on 1940 BL65

Thanks Hank, I stumbled onto the Airframes Alaska website where they are offering TCraft struts and talk about struts with two different angles, I'll contact Wag Aero and see what they have to say... the fit just doesn't seem right!
Doug

[gilligansae]

Re: New struts on 1940 BL65

I have no experience w/ the Wag struts... but I put Airframes Alaska struts on my 12D last summer. There are 2 different angles.... Go on their website, they have a guide on how to measure the strut angle....I am very happy with them......

[ddrewry]

Re: New struts on 1940 BL65

Reading thru Aero Alaska's stuff is what started me really scratching my head... problem is I had no problem installing the forward struts, its the back ones that were way off. According to AeroAlaska the front struts are where the measurement problem is and they say not to worry about the rear struts... %$$@

Still having fun - but a little worried about this one...

[woodmw]

Re: New struts on 1940 BL65

Doug,

My struts are off right now. Just had them tested @ Hooks. I can measure angles and post if it will help. Mine fit with no pressure needed to install. The struts that are on the plane were borrowed from a project plane and fit with no real force needed to mount.

[ddrewry]

Re: New struts on 1940 BL65

Thanks, Mike give me a call sometime and I might swing over for a look and to compare notes with you or you can fly on over to our place anytime. We're on the 20 mile arc and slightly north east from IAH (1/2 mile north of FM1960); listed on the terminal chart as West Liberty Airport, identifier is TS35

Doug
713-206-3160

[woodmw]

Re: New struts on 1940 BL65

Doug,

My rear struts are 12-13 degrees. Fronts are 3 degrees. Both ends of each. +/- 1.

Thanks for the invite. Might be a little while before I can take you up on it. An estimated one month project to get struts inspected and do a little interior redo turned into a year long adventure involving almost every system on the plane. Maybe another month or so, and I can turn on that light at the end of the tunnel.

Phone is: 936/827-9223