Landing gear tie strut repair

[shipljl]

My '41 prewar BC12-65 project had a bad landing. The landing gear tie struts were bent (see the attached picture). I have viewed other posts on about this and am confused. Were the tie strut tubes originally oval or streamline? Mine are streamline 1.53 x 0.64 inches by 0.049 wall. Has it been replaced or is this original?

I have looked for a replacement streamline tube and have been unsuccessful at finding a direct replacement. Plymouth Tube lists a tube very close but will only sell very large orders.

Univair has a tube that is close but it has a thinner wall and also states that it is mild steel, not 4130.

Any suggestions would be wonderful.

[Marv]

Re: Landing gear tie strut repair

When you said hard landing, you were not kidding. You may have more damage than tie struts. I would check the fuselodge pretty close. Marv

[Buell Powell]

Re: Landing gear tie strut repair

You might call Tom O'Neil @ Wag Aero. They have jigs and are a repair station for them or if you are going to repair them should be able to help with the tubing--

[astjp2]

Re: Landing gear tie strut repair

You can do the reinforcement, its a common Alaska mod, see the tech references section for the 337. Tim

http://www.taylorcraft.org/docs/gear%20reinforcement%202.pdf

[shipljl]

Re: Landing gear tie strut repair

Does anyone know what kind of steel the tie strut streamline tubing was made from? Did they have 4130 steel in 1941?

Also, what welding method do you recommend, acetylene, MIG, TIG?

[astjp2]

Re: Landing gear tie strut repair

They did have 4130 back then, and I would use Oxy/Actylene so you dont have to pre and post heat. Tim

[astjp2]

Re: Landing gear tie strut repair

I have a spare gear leg you can look at, in Ogden. I could let you borrow it so you dont have to have your airplane sit on blocks. Tim

[shipljl]

Re: Landing gear tie strut repair

I pulled the second landing gear off the plane and found that two welds have cracked on the two horizontal small diameter tubes at the fuselage bearings. Anyone have a spare right gear that they wouldn't mind parting with?

[astjp2]

Re: Landing gear tie strut repair

Univair has new tapered axle gear, spendy but new. I fondled them last spring at the AK airmans show. Tim

[ajfriz]

Re: Landing gear tie strut repair

I pulled the second landing gear off the plane and found that two welds have cracked on the two horizontal small diameter tubes at the fuselage bearings. Anyone have a spare right gear that they wouldn't mind parting with?

If it's repairable bring it over and I'll do the welding on it.

[mhorowit]

Re: Landing gear tie strut repair

What would cause the struts to bend downward?- MikeH

[astjp2]

Re: Landing gear tie strut repair

Side loading of the gear....Tim

[shipljl]

Re: Landing gear tie strut repair

I bought the plane from the pilot who had the very bad landing. He told me he was landing in a high crosswind. It sounded like just as he touched, a gust blew him sideways and made him crooked with the runway, probably bending the right gear with side load. The right wing hit the ground, breaking the forward spar in half. My guess is that he then pitched forward and rotated on the right gear, hit the prop, then stopped by side loading the left gear.

After removing the gear from the plane and removing the fabric I found that the two smaller upper horizontal tubes have welds that have cracked where they attach to the two bearing points. Its obvious that these are due to folding of the gear at the bearing line. It had to do some folding to allow the buckling in the tie struts. The right side is definitely cracked while the left just has minor signs of bending in the tubes next to the welds. See the attached pictures. Any suggestions for a repair for, or are they just toast?

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Landing gear tie strut repair

Nothing on a Taylorcraft is "toast" unless it is literally burned to a toasted pile of ashes. A good welder can repair pretty much the whole gear if he has access to a good straight gear to set up a fixture.
That said, a lot of times is is less expensive to replace the gear rather than try to repair it. I will now sing one more time my favorite song.

IF YOU DECIDE TO REPLACE THE GEAR, DO NOT TRASH THE OLD ONES!!!!

Someone will have one in worse shape and see yours as a less expensive alternative. Parts like gear are getting more expensive every day. If you don't think someone will eventually try to repair what you think is beyond hope Google "Glacier Girl", a P-38 that was ground up under the ice in Greenland and is now one of the most beautiful P-38s in the world. ANYTHING CAN BE FIXED!

Hank

[Robert Lees]

Re: Landing gear tie strut repair

I wonder what all those additional wires do across the horizontal tubes?