Strut Airworthiness Directive (AD) (merged VI)

[robbie]

Re: Strut Airworthiness Directive (AD) (merged III)

We (my I/A) and me checked the struts today, boy they still looked good, no paint chips so he said give me that big ****ing hammer over their.
Got a punch and that big hammer and started to hammering on them.
The paint doesn't look so good right now.But guess what, they are solid just like he said they would be.
We also looked at the struts attachment bracket, inside and out. Cleaned them, picked some paint off of the weld, cleaned the inside, looked over the top and side of the tubing.
All looked good.
So I can fly it till Nov.
Oh boy still don't know what I'm going to do.
I think I'll get them NDT tested, hope they all pass and that'll give me two years to find struts. If one fail them it's go and try to find new struts .

[Tailwind]

Re: Strut Airworthiness Directive (AD) (merged III)

My airplane is at Airframes Inc. at Big Lake Alaska. Lee has built a new set of wing struts for it, and today is showing the FAA. With a bit of luck, new sealed struts will be available soon. The price will be $1800 for a set of four. The FAA has agreed to fast track this project since the need is there. Also Airframes Inc. already builds all the PMA parts for the PA-18 and several others, so adding a new part to there line is easy. It might be best not to bombard them with too many calls just yet. I'll post the phone number after we get a little closer to the finished product. Kevin

Re: Strut Airworthiness Directive (AD) (merged III)

Just looking around on the net and found a ultrasonic tester for thin metal that lists for $1900. It can measure down to .004 with a resolution of one 10,000th. Guess the technology is there.

Considerably more sophisticated than the units we calibrated years ago.

Might be ok if we could get it done on the aircraft, and not every 24 months. Think we could probably do without the rattle test.
DC

Where did you see it.

My best fit find was about $3k but it gave more than a digital readout it gave the pulse echo waveform response.

Dave

[flyguy]

Re: Strut Airworthiness Directive (AD) (merged III)

Just looking around on the net and found a ultrasonic tester for thin metal that lists for $1900. It can measure down to .004 with a resolution of one 10,000th. Guess the technology is there.

Considerably more sophisticated than the units we calibrated years ago.

Might be ok if we could get it done on the aircraft, and not every 24 months. Think we could probably do without the rattle test.
DC

[Richard Boyer]

Re: Strut Airworthiness Directive (AD) (merged III)

It was implied that the plan was to make it at the end of the comment period. I'm sure, or at least hope, that they will be doing their due diligence. If not, they may find I stop paying my due(s). (The guy I spoke with called me back to let me know the october time frame).

[flyguy]

Re: Strut Airworthiness Directive (AD) (merged III)

Been nice if they had said, "Sometime BEFORE October." Glad to hear they are checking into it. It's a start.
DC

[Robert Lees]

Re: Strut Airworthiness Directive (AD) (merged III)

AOPA and ...coming out with a statement sometime in October

Hope it's before the 12th

Re: Strut Airworthiness Directive (AD) (merged III)

The new 3.37" front strut material will slide right over the old approx. 3.3" material.

Used it before for that you can make a sleeve from it without even opening the trailing edge.

[Richard Boyer]

Re: Strut Airworthiness Directive (AD) (merged III)

I just spoke with AOPA and they have been looking into this AD. They said that they do oppose some of the AD (didn't say what part) and that they would be coming out with a statement sometime in October. They didn't say what that statement would be either.

Mostly, they are trying to accumulate data on the issue before they leap.

Hopefully they will have a positive influence.......

[Ragwing nut]

Re: Strut Airworthiness Directive (AD) (merged III)

Mike, Bill, all,

You know what I wonder about also is why not buy/make new bottom ends (lower 12") for the struts. Then cut off the bad end and weld on the new piece.

Its only the bottom that is bad. A new PMA-ed lower end could be added and then seal the strut. They would be easy and cheap to ship also.

Top ends can be sealed by means other than a thru bushing.

Dave

There is not a proper size streamline that would work as a sleeve for the repair, and I hate looking at patched struts anyway.

Mike

Re: Strut Airworthiness Directive (AD) (merged III)

Mike, Bill, all,

You know what I wonder about also is why not buy/make new bottom ends (lower 12") for the struts. Then cut off the bad end and weld on the new piece.

Its only the bottom that is bad. A new PMA-ed lower end could be added and then seal the strut. They would be easy and cheap to ship also.

Top ends can be sealed by means other than a thru bushing.

Dave

[Ragwing nut]

Re: Strut Airworthiness Directive (AD) (merged III)

Doesn't the AD specify "new" sealed struts? If your idea actually could become a permanent method of compliance, Jackpot!

You could turn one into a sealed strut and inpsect them internally at the same time, but it will still cost a couple hundred dollars each at a minimum which is still better than buying new if it could be considered feasable.

Mike

[VictorBravo]

Re: Strut Airworthiness Directive (AD) (merged III)

G** forbid I should do an end run on the FAA, but how about this. Have your old struts tested to the minimum requirement (ONE TIME) and then have them turned into sealed struts. A good strut is a good strut and a sealed one is a sealed one. Savings, probably $2500.
DC

Doesn't the AD specify "new" sealed struts? If your idea actually could become a permanent method of compliance, Jackpot!

[flyguy]

Re: Strut Airworthiness Directive (AD) (merged III)

G** forbid I should do an end run on the FAA, but how about this. Have your old struts tested to the minimum requirement (ONE TIME) and then have them turned into sealed struts. A good strut is a good strut and a sealed one is a sealed one. Savings, probably $2500.
DC

[cpirrmann]

Re: Strut Airworthiness Directive (AD) (merged III)

Hey Danny,

I made a mistake in that post you quoted above.

I left out that the rear strut can be sealed by capping the bottom end of the internally threaded tube.

Test that by pushing a rod or long screw driver or such down the open top end of the rear strut. If it is stopped after going in 4 or 5 inches the it is sealed on the top end.

If I was looking at your struts and it passed the test above, no drain holes and had a thru bushing at the top of the front strut, then I would look for FAA/PMA stamps on the ends near the bolt holes.

If I found something that could be traced back to Univair (most likley supplier) then I would consider it complied with.

Also you could call the rebuilder ask him where he got them and do back tracking.

Dave.

This brings up a good point. Old aircraft, perhaps incomplete logs, what is the physical description of sealed struts for Tcraft? Does anyone have photos? I assume that even if they look 'sealed' the holes at the bottom nullify that.