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

[Guest]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers (updated 10 Nov 2007)

It was kind of a pissy thing to say, and for those of us in Iowa it was a little offensive. I do not know you from anyone but maybe from now on it would be better to just observe and not comment on this website.

My apologies to the Iowans too.

Dave

[Forrest Barber]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers (updated 10 Nov 2007)

Read the NPRM and then Vintage Aircraft , Dec 2007, came in mail today. More in the AM nite nite

[UNIVAIR]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers (updated 10 Nov 2007)

Here is the latest from us. Our Designated Engineering Rep (DER) here with the company called me late yesterday afternoon to tell me that the Denver ACO have given us Design Approval on our expanded model applicability for our lift struts. For those who don't speak FAA this means, The Denver Aircraft Certification Office is finished hatching our paperwork. This is where the traditional bottleneck is on any project of ours large or small. Design Approval means that they say that all the boilerplate we sent them looks beautiful and they aren't going to give us any more crap. This now goes to LA to be wrapped up by the main people people pulling on our choke collar, the LA Manufacturing and Inspection District Office (MIDO).

Bottom line: We may have this thing in hand by Christmas.

Mike Sellers
Univair Aircraft

[ROllerton]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers (updated 10 Nov 2007)

My Taylor-Young A wants Univair Struts.
Please Santa?

[Guest]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers (updated 10 Nov 2007)

I pay good money for taxes to the Feds, I am calling the FSDO Monday and let them earn it, and explain!

My PMI is good at figuring this stuff out and has helped in the past when I wanted to do something unusual, maybe he will get this one.

Gonna give it a whirl.

Talked with the FSDO today and they agree if a part is a PMA replacement part then all you need is a log entry no STC, but hold on.

Except I also just talked with the FAA engineer who worked the STC at the Anchorage ACO (Dave Swartz, the one Airframes Inc said to call see page 8 & 9).

He told me the struts are NOT a replacement part and perhaps the PMA should be corrected because it calls them that, they are really modification parts. And he said that the Airframes Inc struts can only be installed with the STC and that requires a 337 and an IA contrary to the Airframes Inc post on page 9.

Drude,
A 337 is used when you make a major alteration or repair to any structure on an a/c. For example, if you weld on STC'd float fittings you have altered the structure of the airframe. Since your simply replacing parts here the 337 is not required. The STC is just there to cover the AD.Hope this clears it up for you.

Regards,
Levi


So McAnaul's statement about log entry only on page 8 and 9 as well as mine and others are wrong, thru no fault of our own. A 337 is absolutely required with the Airframes Inc struts. What bunch of confusion that starts from the wrong info on the PMA and frankly from Airframe Inc.

So bottom line is if you use Airframe Inc's struts you have to do a 337 it is an STC installation. Univair & Taylorcraft wil only need a log entry.


BTY- My FSDO also says they will process AMOCs, I just misunderstood because they sent me directly to the ACO last time. So I was wrong about that. Also FSDO can reject and AMOC but cannot approve only the AD controlling office/manager can approve and also reject.

[astjp2]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers (updated 10 Nov 2007)

My airplane still hasnt learnt that his wings might fall off cuz some enigi-nerd in Texas is sayins that! I guess I will have to get the strap out an whoop on him a little when he gets back Kids these days

[Guest]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers (updated 10 Nov 2007)

lol

There are a lot of those stubborn t-carts out there!

Dave, a fellow engi-nerd I love that phrase

[Gary Snell]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers (updated 10 Nov 2007)

Thanks Dave for the clarification with Airframes struts....guess I'll be filing a 337. The answer you got certainly makes sense if they are tied to an STC. All this confusion is just amazing.

[MJB]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers (updated 10 Nov 2007)

Hmm,

This is lucky thread page 13. How about a few more replies, jokes, etc. to get on to page 14. Our luck may improve there.

[MJB]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers (updated 10 Nov 2007)

Thanks Dave for the clarification with Airframes struts....guess I'll be filing a 337. The answer you got certainly makes sense if they are tied to an STC. All this confusion is just amazing.

Gents,

Call the fellow in the red text below:


To all Taylorcraft owners:

It seems some folks are uncertain about the AD and the sealed lift struts we produce here at Airframes. inc. Let me try and clarify things. When the AD came out we started getting calls asking us to produce them from our customers. We have been producing sealed lift struts for the PA18 supercubs (which has a similar AD)for the past seven years and have made well over a thousand of them. After conferring with the FAA. it was decided to get an STC to comply with the Taylorcraft AD as this could be accomplished the fastest. The STC states clearly that these struts comply with the requirements of the AD. This is the equivilant of an AMOC letter. Apparently The FAA hasen't gotten around to posting our STC on thier site yet. We make thousands of different FAA-PMA approved parts for many different airplanes and are intimately familiar with part approvals, we hold many STCs and PMAs including one that has an amoc. Our FAA engineer has graciously said that people with questions may contact him. His name is Dave Swartz and his # is 907-271-2671.
Rest assured that not only are our struts the fix for the AD they are the best choice as they are much stronger than both the originals and the competitors.They are also the lightest weight. I chose to charge the same amount for the T-craft struts as we charge for the supercub struts. 1800 per set. I am happy to save the T-craft world all this money as I am a T-craft afficianato myself.
I have about 800 hours in T-crafts.My first airplane was a T-craft which I dearly loved, I have had two more since and still have one, N95090. I taught flying in a 1946 BC12D with no brakes on my side and I met my wife when she was my student in it. Of all the planes I have owned and flown I enjoy the T-craft the most.
If anyone has any other questions, Call us at 907-892-8244 and myself or Levi will be happy to answer them.

Sincerely,

Lee Budde

President, Airframes,inc.

[Forrest Barber]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers (updated 10 Nov 2007)

I did talk with Lee Budde this afternoon and we discussed a lot of things. He will announce some changes soon. I am still on the phones today, it is all working out. Mike Sellers and I are discussing many things too!
I will put up a thread on the Gilberti Harer STC next week , some changes are happening there too.
Will be calling the factory next and then Andy at the FAA tomorrow .

[UNIVAIR]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers (updated 10 Nov 2007)

Guys I've been down this strut road before. When the Piper strut AD came out you can find where Piper is called out as an approved source and it also called out the various STC holders. There wasn't a mention of Univair. That has been 8 years ago and I still find myself occassionally debating with an owner, A&P or even an IA who because they don't see our name won't accept our struts as approved. When I run out of wind I just send them to Atlanta and let the FAA boys down there tell them the same thing. Our parts are approved!

Now this NPRM has the gate swinging the other way. Why I don't know why. Now I don't necessarily want to carry Airframe Inc's water, but Lee has an STC. It is a little different animal than a PMA. This NPRM hasn't changed a damn thing. If you have purchased his STC's struts, they were approved yesterday they will be approved tomorrow. They will be approved if they are mentioned as being acceptable for terminating action in the AD or not. He has an STC. STC stands for Supplemental Type Certificate. So, it is a Supplement to the Type Design. The Type Design was the STANDARD to which the aircraft was built or in other words what was orginal. The parts Univair are making are made under a Parts Manufacturing Approval which essentially means we are coloring inside the lines of the type design.

This deal could have been just like the Piper strut AD where there wasn't a peep about us. Still, we sold a lot of struts.

Mike Sellers
Univair Aircraft

P.S. I stand on my remarks from earlier postings: No 337 on our struts. Lee's STC'd struts will require a 337.

[flyguy]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers (updated 10 Nov 2007)

"Talked with the FSDO today--all you need is a log entry--

talked with the FAA engineer-- he said that the Airframes Inc struts can only be installed with the STC and that requires a 337...

So bottom line is--you have to do a 337..."

So engineer trumps FSDO? That is interesting.

DC

[Guest]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers (updated 10 Nov 2007)

Gents,

Call the fellow in the red text below:


To all Taylorcraft owners:

It seems some folks are uncertain about the AD and the sealed lift struts we produce here at Airframes. inc. Let me try and clarify things. When the AD came out we started getting calls asking us to produce them from our customers. We have been producing sealed lift struts for the PA18 supercubs (which has a similar AD)for the past seven years and have made well over a thousand of them. After conferring with the FAA. it was decided to get an STC to comply with the Taylorcraft AD as this could be accomplished the fastest. The STC states clearly that these struts comply with the requirements of the AD. This is the equivilant of an AMOC letter. Apparently The FAA hasen't gotten around to posting our STC on thier site yet. We make thousands of different FAA-PMA approved parts for many different airplanes and are intimately familiar with part approvals, we hold many STCs and PMAs including one that has an amoc. Our FAA engineer has graciously said that people with questions may contact him. His name is Dave Swartz and his # is 907-271-2671.
Rest assured that not only are our struts the fix for the AD they are the best choice as they are much stronger than both the originals and the competitors.They are also the lightest weight. I chose to charge the same amount for the T-craft struts as we charge for the supercub struts. 1800 per set. I am happy to save the T-craft world all this money as I am a T-craft afficianato myself.
I have about 800 hours in T-crafts.My first airplane was a T-craft which I dearly loved, I have had two more since and still have one, N95090. I taught flying in a 1946 BC12D with no brakes on my side and I met my wife when she was my student in it. Of all the planes I have owned and flown I enjoy the T-craft the most.
If anyone has any other questions, Call us at 907-892-8244 and myself or Levi will be happy to answer them.

Sincerely,

Lee Budde

President, Airframes,inc.

Mike and all, that's exactly who I called and got the info from in my post, Dave

[Guest]

Re: A list of lift strut suppliers (updated 10 Nov 2007)

"Talked with the FSDO today--all you need is a log entry--

talked with the FAA engineer-- he said that the Airframes Inc struts can only be installed with the STC and that requires a 337...

So bottom line is--you have to do a 337..."

So engineer trumps FSDO? That is interesting.

DC

Darryl, no that's not correct,

"Talked with the FSDO today and they agree if a part is a PMA replacement part then all you need is a log entry no STC, but hold on."


Its not a replacement part according to Dave Swartz.

One can have a PMA but that means only that you can make and sell it that does not make it a replacement part, it could be a modification part.

Hope that makes sense.