Wing strut drawings

[bluerooster]

I need to fabricate new struts for my BC12-D and have nothing to go by. The struts that came with it are for an Aeronca. So I doubt they would work as a pattern. I would like to find a set of blueprints for the Lift struts, as well as the Cabanes..

[taylorukuk]

I have never seen a drawing - We bought a replacement strut from Wag Aero - Hardly worth the bother of making it yourself TBH.

[3Dreaming]

Unless you are building a clip wing, buy the struts from one of the available sources. I doubt that you could get home made strut past the FAA for compliance with the AD on the wing struts anyway.

[Woody]

At the price of streamline tubing, you can probably buy struts cheaper. 4130 is expensive and not available at times. I've been trying to buy
1/2"x.035 and no stock available.

[Hank Jarrett]

Just a hint too about drawings. A LOT of Taylorcraft drawings are NOT accurate for making parts! Most parts were built on FIXTURES, not from drawings. I just finished having to do repairs to my newly made/rebuilt 45 panel because the drawing locations for the mount holes were NOT where the holes were in the fuselage. Had to patch all the mount holes and re-drill using the fuselage to locate the holes in the panel. It is a common problem on aircraft. The drawings on the Grumman A-6 were incorrect on a regular basis. Things like panels were NOT interchangeable, they were match drilled "kinda close" to where the drawings said to put them. Yes, the panel in the early 45 planes really was painted Turquoise. When I stripped off the paint layers on all the old aluminum and steel bits teh first color was always Turquoise! I got a call from the 1950s. They want their paint back.

Hank

[astjp2]

I need to fabricate new struts for my BC12-D and have nothing to go by. The struts that came with it are for an Aeronca. So I doubt they would work as a pattern. I would like to find a set of blueprints for the Lift struts, as well as the Cabanes..

Unless you have an approval to get around the airworthiness directive, you need to buy sealed struts. Good luck, Tim

[bluerooster]

As to things being built in jigs/fixtures. It's not like someone just willy nilly slapped together some material, and called it a jig for (whatever part). There was a drawing, with specifications to go by when building said fixture.
I figure that with a set to go by for dimensional purposes, I can build a set of sealed struts just as well as anyone else. As to approval; It would fall under the heading of "owner produced part".

[3Dreaming]

As to things being built in jigs/fixtures. It's not like someone just willy nilly slapped together some material, and called it a jig for (whatever part). There was a drawing, with specifications to go by when building said fixture.
I figure that with a set to go by for dimensional purposes, I can build a set of sealed struts just as well as anyone else. As to approval; It would fall under the heading of "owner produced part".

No disrespect to your ability, but the AD is very specific about what is an acceptable terminating action for the AD. An owner produced strut regardless of quality is not part of the AD's approved terminating action. I suggest you take a look at the AD.

[Hank Jarrett]

It isn't that the parts fixtures were made willy nilly, it is that the drawings are converted to fixture drawings and the tooling is built to those drawings. Unfortunately a lot of times the dimensions are changed on the fly (no joke intended) to make the tooling work in production and many times no one ever goes back and corrects the part drawing. Believe it or not this is a COMMON problem. The first plane I saw that was TRULY designed on computers and all of the dimensions were actually confirmed from one end of the design to the other was the B-2! Airplanes were and often still are pretty much custom built on the line and sign offs for minor changes are common. I had to write more of them than I can count on numerous Navy planes. That a Taylorcraft was pretty much "custom built" doesn't surprise me at all. Just try taking a cowl off one plane and putting it on another. Better yet, try to swap out a windshield! We are lucky that things like wings, landing gear and control surfaces are interchangeable without rework
.

Hank

[bluerooster]

No disrespect to your ability, but the AD is very specific about what is an acceptable terminating action for the AD. An owner produced strut regardless of quality is not part of the AD's approved terminating action. I suggest you take a look at the AD.

I did look at the AD. It gives the part number from Univair as being the only part that will terminate the AD. So the strut from Wag, Or Chief, or McFarlane, (unless they get it from Univair) will not terminate the AD, even though it is sealed strut. However, looking at how the AD is worded, there is verbiage to include any other FAA approved part. So the others would also terminate the AD. As would an owner produced part based upon the sealed lift strut sold by univair. However, it's a moot point now, as I just looked at the cost of the tubing and found it may be less expensive to just buy the pre made. (depending on cost to ship.)

[bluerooster]

It isn't that the parts fixtures were made willy nilly, it is that the drawings are converted to fixture drawings and the tooling is built to those drawings. Unfortunately a lot of times the dimensions are changed on the fly (no joke intended) to make the tooling work in production and many times no one ever goes back and corrects the part drawing. Believe it or not this is a COMMON problem. The first plane I saw that was TRULY designed on computers and all of the dimensions were actually confirmed from one end of the design to the other was the B-2! Airplanes were and often still are pretty much custom built on the line and sign offs for minor changes are common. I had to write more of them than I can count on numerous Navy planes. That a Taylorcraft was pretty much "custom built" doesn't surprise me at all. Just try taking a cowl off one plane and putting it on another. Better yet, try to swap out a windshield! We are lucky that things like wings, landing gear and control surfaces are interchangeable without rework
.

Hank

It's still that way. The only fuel tank that will fit a PA28 is the one that it was born with.

[Hank Jarrett]

Yea, I am working on the main tank for my 45 now. Looks like it was bashed with a pipe to dent it in to fit between the tubes behind the instrument panel. The first time I saw a Taylorcraft fuel tank that is what I thought had happened to it. Turns out ALL of them have to be dented in to clear the tubing. When you have them cleaned and leak tested you have to be SURE to tell the folks cleaning and testing the tank NOT to repair the dents! If they do you will have to dent it again to get in to fit in.

Hank

[astjp2]

I did look at the AD. It gives the part number from Univair as being the only part that will terminate the AD. So the strut from Wag, Or Chief, or McFarlane, (unless they get it from Univair) will not terminate the AD, even though it is sealed strut. However, looking at how the AD is worded, there is verbiage to include any other FAA approved part. So the others would also terminate the AD. As would an owner produced part based upon the sealed lift strut sold by univair. However, it's a moot point now, as I just looked at the cost of the tubing and found it may be less expensive to just buy the pre made. (depending on cost to ship.)

there AMOC's for other struts.

[Woody]

As you stated shipping is a killer. I need 2 pieces of 1/2'x.035 for some wing tip bows. Shipping from Atlanta is $128 and $168 from California.

[N96337]

If you can get an AMOC, there'd be no problem. It shouldn't be that difficult really. But, prices being what they are, you are very correct that it might be better to buy.
John