Wing and Strut Failures 1938 to Date

[jstall]

Curious

Do we have any factual information on how many if any wing failures and strut failures
there has been on the Taylorcraft

And wing departures?? resulting in as we know a nasty end?

JS

[Ragwing nut]

Re: Wing and Strut Failures 1938 to Date

FAA database goes back to 1982 and the only one on record is the one discussed on the board in the other thread.

[3Dreaming]

Re: Wing and Strut Failures 1938 to Date

I remember someone mentioning that back in the 1940's there was a strut failure or failures due to the end being pulled out of the strut due to poor welds at the factory. I don't have any details though other than a fuzzy memory.

[jstall]

Re: Wing and Strut Failures 1938 to Date

I remember someone mentioning that back in the 1940's there was a strut failure or failures due to the end being pulled out of the strut due to poor welds at the factory. I don't have any details though other than a fuzzy memory.

That is pretty much what I though. Guess my question is, considering the history, the
separation finding on this loss, why in the heck did the FAA issue a Strut AD??
Never ending waist of time and money in my opinion. Today we have some of these strut
installations are are worse for the A/C than the original condition, i.e. struts that didn't have the proper "STRUT ANGLE" being forced into place and putting stress in the wing
structure etc, I know of several

Sure would be nice if this AD could be rescinded.

JS
N95083

[M Towsley]

Re: Wing and Strut Failures 1938 to Date

JS,

Lots of info on here about the strut AD and the person(s) who wished to profit from it. Makes for great late-night reading.

[jstall]

Re: Wing and Strut Failures 1938 to Date

JS,

Lots of info on here about the strut AD and the person(s) who wished to profit from it. Makes for great late-night reading.

Exactly: I'm surprised the FAA bought into it back then. I got stiffed by Harry lost
3500.00 got some crap from the folks that took it back about 2 years afterward but
the strut angles were wrong and they didn't fit, I'm not sure I would have used them anyway, who knows who or how they were made.

I'm still running the originals have a AMOC to do the AD on the a/c so its not as intrusive as it was in the beginning, but still bad. Too bad the FAA won't revoke it.

[Guest]

Re: Wing and Strut Failures 1938 to Date

At the time of the accident/AD the FAA engineer told me that The Foundation/Forrest was pushing the strut AD because of some struts that rusted thru (no failure).

I mentioned that to Forrest at one point back then. I think those pictures that I posted were part of that "push" not related to the accident.

Someone said at that time (Forrest comes to mind) that an airplane parked on a limestone floor or something like that was the one that rusted thru but did not fail.

In 1998 the factory told me about them working on replacement struts made from carbon fiber so they had this scheme in mind for a while.

[PA1195]

Re: Wing and Strut Failures 1938 to Date

Some of the strut concern is likely bleed over from Piper's similar unsealed strut issues. Part of that was internal corrosion and some was stress from stepping on them while refueling. Their lower strut fork threads also are subject to inspection or replacement.

Gary

[jstall]

Re: Wing and Strut Failures 1938 to Date

Some of the strut concern is likely bleed over from Piper's similar unsealed strut issues. Part of that was internal corrosion and some was stress from stepping on them while refueling. Their lower strut fork threads also are subject to inspection or replacement.

Gary

Gary

What did you end up doing for your struts?? Did you have to address this "STRUT ANGLE"
issue where the angle of the upper fitting matches the angle down to the fuselage attach
point?? According to Alaska Airframes those angles vary from aircraft to aircraft, so struts
have to be made to fit?? Have you experienced this??

JS

[PA1195]

Re: Wing and Strut Failures 1938 to Date

The former owner Tom a good A&P installed the struts I bought from Airframes. They fit but I don't recall any discussion of upper angles at the time. I was there at purchase but not installation. I assume if they are the ones chosen a quick pre-check of wing bracket angles per their webpage (http://www.airframesalaska.com/produ...-tcraftset.htm and http://www.airframesalaska.com/v/vsp...craftangle.pdf) will help decide on a proper fit. I also wanted their product because of the claimed strength of the rear strut to resisting compression failure under snow and wind loads we can experience.

Gary

[jstall]

Re: Wing and Strut Failures 1938 to Date

The former owner Tom a good A&P installed the struts I bought from Airframes. They fit but I don't recall any discussion of upper angles at the time. I was there at purchase but not installation. I assume if they are the ones chosen a quick pre-check of wing bracket angles per their webpage (http://www.airframesalaska.com/produ...-tcraftset.htm and http://www.airframesalaska.com/v/vsp...craftangle.pdf) will help decide on a proper fit. I also wanted their product because of the claimed strength of the rear strut to resisting compression failure under snow and wind loads we can experience.

Gary

Would any members happen to have a history of what those upper front strut angles are:
according to "airframesalaska can be from 0 to 6?? can't imagine 0 as a good number
but anyway mine are at 6 degrees the struts I got from Harry the crook were at
-0- not even close

JS

[N95334]

Re: Wing and Strut Failures 1938 to Date

I bought my struts from Alaska. They fit great and are much larger than original.
If I remember what cased the Taylorcraft Strut AD was a seaplane Taylorcraft and
Of all things it was not the strut that failed but the lower tubing being pulled
out due to rust not the strut. FAA got it wrong and now you have to inspect
The lower tubing and make it easy to keep an eye on it.
Then again I could be wrong.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Wing and Strut Failures 1938 to Date

You aren't wrong. It is an unholy mess, and very unnecessary.
Hank

I bought my struts from Alaska. They fit great and are much larger than original.
If I remember what cased the Taylorcraft Strut AD was a seaplane Taylorcraft and
Of all things it was not the strut that failed but the lower tubing being pulled
out due to rust not the strut. FAA got it wrong and now you have to inspect
The lower tubing and make it easy to keep an eye on it.
Then again I could be wrong.