A list of lift strut suppliers (updated 12 Dec 2007)

[Dano"T"]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers

Guys,This AD has been coming since longer back then you think. I don't know if the factory brought it to the attention of the FAA or not but I'm sure they backed it. I also think it was a good idea. Most of you only own one t-craft and have owned and babied it for years. I on the other hand have owned several. I buy them,sell them,keep them,restore them,repair them,part them out,etc so this should tell you that I have seen a wide range of t-crafts come thru my shop and it would surprise you on how many has rusty struts. Most of the rusty strut birds were those that spent time outside but a few were not.
Maybe,just maybe if every t-craft owner started protesting the FAA maybe we could have the AD revolked(yeah right),then we can wait until a few of our fellow t-craft owners "DIE" because thier wing fell off in flight. Please let me know what is more important....worst case is $2000-3500 for a set of struts or $300-600 every two years for and inspection , OR if we would rather see our buddies DIE to save us a little money for now then maybe they will remove the AD just to help us out with that! . Before a few of you get all pissy I know most of the T-craft fleet does not have a strut problem but remember these are 60 + year old airplanes and these parts will have to be replaced sometime. That is why we have the option to inspect or replace.
Why don't we just do it so we never need to worry about it and quit pointing fingers at other people who,for what ever reason,might just be the reason your strut don't break and kill you or your loved ones.
Now, let's all work together to help each other get this inspection done and put it behind us.

Crispy (and others) tjis is all great....but we did not need an AD telling us specifically how to do this and leaving us to follow guidlines that are not universally agreed upon as acceptable....There have been crappy airplanes around for a long time....I've seen some real junk.....but we inspect them each year and weed out the bad....if there are rusty struts.....issue a concern sheet and let the IA's fix em if they are broke....this AD is a bad thing because it was hastily issued, offered no public comment due to "urgency" indicating that we are in danger...and furthermore...it's reasoning tells us that all piper cubs are flying in an unsafe condition because the testing criteria is crap.....they've said it.....punch test doesn't work........and I have 4 T-Crafts and a Cub.....I treat all of the T-Crafts with linseed oil through the vent holes each year at annual....no rust....not even on the floatplane.

[DanBrown]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers

Kevin,

I agree with most of your last comment. Many parts can fail in flight with no or little damage -- I've had two engine failures (Cessna 140 and Bonanza) with no damage. But a strut failure is not something I can live with. Flying is risky -- we owe it to ourselves to lower the risks when we can by doing reasonable actions like inspection and replacement of rusty structure.

That said, most of the comments on these threads are about the best way to inspect or the sources of replacement struts. You and many others are much more knowledgeable than I. Thanks for you comments and concerns.

[mgold]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers

I live 30 mins from stormman do you want me to take him out.. ha.ha.
I will be order from airframes. please keep us posted .

as always thank you for your time.
MITCH

[crispy critter]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers

Guys,This AD has been coming since longer back then you think. I don't know if the factory brought it to the attention of the FAA or not but I'm sure they backed it. I also think it was a good idea. Most of you only own one t-craft and have owned and babied it for years. I on the other hand have owned several. I buy them,sell them,keep them,restore them,repair them,part them out,etc so this should tell you that I have seen a wide range of t-crafts come thru my shop and it would surprise you on how many has rusty struts. Most of the rusty strut birds were those that spent time outside but a few were not.
Maybe,just maybe if every t-craft owner started protesting the FAA maybe we could have the AD revolked(yeah right),then we can wait until a few of our fellow t-craft owners "DIE" because thier wing fell off in flight. Please let me know what is more important....worst case is $2000-3500 for a set of struts or $300-600 every two years for and inspection , OR if we would rather see our buddies DIE to save us a little money for now then maybe they will remove the AD just to help us out with that! . Before a few of you get all pissy I know most of the T-craft fleet does not have a strut problem but remember these are 60 + year old airplanes and these parts will have to be replaced sometime. That is why we have the option to inspect or replace.
Why don't we just do it so we never need to worry about it and quit pointing fingers at other people who,for what ever reason,might just be the reason your strut don't break and kill you or your loved ones.
Now, let's all work together to help each other get this inspection done and put it behind us.

[Buell Powell]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers

Must have been gutsey pilot flying around nowing he was one good thermal away from disaster

[stormman]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers

I KNEW IT!!!!!! STORMMAN WAS BEHIND THE WHOLE THING!!!!!!!

You know I love you Guys BUT
LOVE HURTS

[Richard Boyer]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers

Richard said
"I'm not trying to be a bone head here, but was the Factory instrumental in this new AD?"

OK the jigs up , you guys caught me (us)
The Faa knows my Rear struts crumpled in a wind storm andI have to replace the rear struts along with the wings! SOoooo to make things easier on me They (we ) decided to make EVERYBODY replace theirs Too(;f

Sorry But thats the way it is

I KNEW IT!!!!!! STORMMAN WAS BEHIND THE WHOLE THING!!!!!!!

[cpirrmann]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers

As much as we like to dump on Canada, they seem to have it right when it comes to vintage light planes.

[Ragwing nut]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers

I have a stack of junk struts that came off airplanes and projects. Does that mean the shape of the flying fleet is bad???? I think not. The fact that this AD is almost word for word verbatum of 99-10-06 for Piper struts makes me wonder how knowledgable the people that imposed this AD are on tube and fabric aircraft? Is there a history of strut failures in the Taylorcrafts like Pipers....no. Is there a history of inflight breakups......no. Because I have to replace the last 3 feet of the longerons in half the tube and fabric airplanes I restore, does that mean we need an AD on every steel tube fuselage???? I think not again. The AD has become nothing but a bandaid solution for unqualified mechanics in the field working on airplanes that are no longer tought that they exist when they go to A&P school.

Mike

[stormman]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers

Richard said
"I'm not trying to be a bone head here, but was the Factory instrumental in this new AD?"

OK the jigs up , you guys caught me (us)
The Faa knows my Rear struts crumpled in a wind storm andI have to replace the rear struts along with the wings! SOoooo to make things easier on me They (we ) decided to make EVERYBODY replace theirs Too(;f

Sorry But thats the way it is

[Buell Powell]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers

This is kind of intersting. If the struts were on a flying airplane in that condition I wonder if a stress test was done to see if under what conditions they would have collapsed?

[cpirrmann]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers

The FAA engineer said they came off a plane and he had N numbers to trace them to.

I asked him the same question you just asked.

Was he willing to give them to you? I would believe that to be public knowledge.

[Buell Powell]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers

Was someone actually flying that plane with struts rusted thru?

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers

Just wondering, Has anyone been able to find out where the struts that were found to be bad came from. Were they from flying aircraft,projects that had been sitting in field or barnes, or had taken off years ago and lieing around. Some were reported to have rusted thru to the outside-surely no one was flying a plane with them holding thier wings.

The FAA engineer said they came off a plane and he had N numbers to trace them to.

I asked him the same question you just asked.

[Buell Powell]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers

Just wondering, Has anyone been able to find out where the struts that were found to be bad came from. Were they from flying aircraft,projects that had been sitting in field or barnes, or had taken off years ago and lieing around. Some were reported to have rusted thru to the outside-surely no one was flying a plane with them holding thier wings.