Need a new bracket

[dejh22]

The day started out great. I finally had an IA come out this morning to look over my project. This guy taught my dad how to fly back in 1967. He also did inspections on my dad's projects. He looked everything over and told me what needed to be fixed and how he wanted it fixed.

Tonight I decided to take the landing gear off. A couple bolts were being stubborn. I got them out...but the last one I was getting aggressive with when I heard something hit the floor. I had sat the rudder on top of the fuselage. Yes it hit the floor and the bracket on the bottom of the rudder broke. To top it off, it also broke up in side the tube. I can't get it to slide out. So I almost have it drilled out.

I want to ask if anyone knows where I can find a new one (serviceable one) I have a pic of the one I broke. I'm feeling pretty dumb right now!

[dejh22]

Re: Need a new bracket

I think I know what I need, it is called a rudder arm. I see that aircraft spruce sells them. http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...udderarms2.php
Has anyone ever bought one of these? I think I need the 3/4". Mine was cast aluminum, maybe that is why it broke so easy. I just thought of something. I'm talking to myself! I posted a couple days ago now I have answered my own question! Oh well!

[dejh22]

Re: Need a new bracket

Well, now I have to find someone else to inspect my project. The IA that I had decided (without telling me) that he didn't want to look over my project. so here I'm at a complete stand still.
He had told me what he wanted done and how to do it. Then he called me a few days later and said he had been thinking about things and that he wanted to look things over again. That was over a week ago. So I just called him and he gave me the news he was out. He said that I wanted to do things on the cheap and I needed to do them right. He said he had never seen a spar that was made from two pcs of wood (laminated). He saw what I believe to be a laminate line in a spar and I had told him that is what I thought it was. the aileron spars are split (delaminated). He says someone has really messed with stuff because airplane spars (wing and aileron ) are not made that way. They are made from one solid pc. He said that he has never seen it any other way. This guy is in his 80's and he even taught my dad how to fly back in the 60's
Some of you know my story. I just wanted to do a restore on a taylorcraft because it was something my dad and I never got to do. Most of what I have learned is right here on this website. My son will be getting his LSA and I wanted to do this taylorcraft for him and the memory of my father. Now I don't know.....maybe there is a reason I never did this....sorry for the rant need to talk a walk and clear my head.

[barnstmr]

Re: Need a new bracket

Dale,
Sorry to hear about your adversity, but don't let this guy discourage you. These airplanes are not complicated and maybe he is having a bad week or something. I highly recommend you give a call to Mike Head at Traverse Lakes Aviation. He is North of you a ways, but is very Vintage Airplane friendly. He is a qualified A&P/I.A.. He will give you good advice I am sure.

Traverse Lake Aviation
1345 Van Tyle Road
Gaylord, MI 49735
(989) 731-3042

[email protected]

Also.... I have not seen your wings and can't judge the other I.A.'s comments, but I know that it was not uncommon for Taylorcraft to build spars as a 2-piece laminate. I am sure some others on this forum know what I am talking about and can perhaps provide photos. So maybe it is best that you let the other I.A. walk away and now maybe you can find a better I.A. Keep the faith. I think what you are doing for your son in tribute to your dad is an awesome thing and a most worthwhile endeavor.


By the way... your wing mod drawings went out in todays mail. Thanks. Call if you have questions.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Need a new bracket

I can tell you for certain, there are LOTS of laminated spars on certified airplanes. A laminated spar (built right) will actually be STRONGER than a one piece spar and the more laminations the less likely you will have a failure from a hidden compression fracture. I actually have never seen a lamination of only two pieces, but I have seen a lot of them with more than 4.
Hank

[dejh22]

Re: Need a new bracket

Thanks guys, I will go up and see him tomorrow and show him a sample spar left over from one of my dad's Aeronca projects from many years ago. I will bet it was a project he signed off on for him. I have about a six inch pc that is cut at both ends. You can clearly see it is not a solid pc of lumber. It is made of four pc's of spruce.

[skip]

Re: Need a new bracket

He said he had never seen a spar that was made from two pcs of wood (laminated). He saw what I believe to be a laminate line in a spar and I had told him that is what I thought it was. the aileron spars are split (delaminated). He says someone has really messed with stuff because airplane spars (wing and aileron ) are not made that way. They are made from one solid pc. He said that he has never seen it any other way.

Attached is a picture of my original left spar, 1946 BC12D with factory stamps. Taylorcraft routinely made up spars from whatever wood they had on hand. The joints are all FAA approved and as strong as plain wood.

Skip
N34237 - 1946 BC12D sn 7700

[dejh22]

Re: Need a new bracket

Attached is a picture of my original left spar, 1946 BC12D with factory stamps. Taylorcraft routinely made up spars from whatever wood they had on hand. The joints are all FAA approved and as strong as plain wood.

Skip
N34237 - 1946 BC12D sn 7700

Thanks for the picture. A mutual friend of the I A and I is going to show him the spar sample and show him the Taylorcraft BC12D Service Manual. On page 4 the heading is Wing Frame. It says,
"The wing frame consists of laminated Spruce spars re-inforced at the butt and strut and attachments with three Spruce pads".

[N96337]

Re: Need a new bracket

Sounds like he's not much of an IA for older aircraft. My Tcraft has laminated spars in the wings of over 5 pieces each. A friend of mine that was working at the factory in '46 says they'd use whatever was there and make as many scarf joints as necessary to make a spar. That wasn't an uncommon practice at all. I did a '41 Cub a few years ago that had 3 pieces in each spar from the factory, and many others. Has he ever seen a Travelair spar? They're a box spar...can't build that out of one piece!
At any rate, good luck finding someone new... I always say it's all for a reason, and this too will be for the best.
Hang in there!
John

[dejh22]

Re: Need a new bracket

Sounds like he's not much of an IA for older aircraft. My Tcraft has laminated spars in the wings of over 5 pieces each. A friend of mine that was working at the factory in '46 says they'd use whatever was there and make as many scarf joints as necessary to make a spar. That wasn't an uncommon practice at all. I did a '41 Cub a few years ago that had 3 pieces in each spar from the factory, and many others. Has he ever seen a Travelair spar? They're a box spar...can't build that out of one piece!
At any rate, good luck finding someone new... I always say it's all for a reason, and this too will be for the best.
Hang in there!
John

Thanks John. I'm just shocked about the whole deal.This IA signed off on some of my dad's projects. The first being a taylorcraft. The rest were mostly Aeroncas.So he has seen a lot of older aircraft. Come to think about it, there was a different IA that checked my dad's work on the last airplanes he did. Maybe there was a reason for that?
I decided to take an aileron apart today. I numbered all the ribs and will use the old spar as a pattern. Not sure if this is the norm, but the leading edge was nailed the whole length of the spar. It was nailed both top and bottom with ribbed nails. It was a major pain in the behind trying to pull them out!