When you take off those struts and cart them off to be inspected....

[mhorowit]

.. how are you protecting your aircraft? You're probably leaving the controls in place. simply supporting them at about head-height is risky and unless the aircraft is leveled you will put a twisting motion to the wing (unless you support both leading and trailing edges) - MikeH

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: When you take off those struts and cart them off to be inspected....

It would be nice to have some of those rusted out struts to use for temporary support. Probably need to weld some big handles on them so no one is tempted to use them for flight. If we mad up some shipping boxes, you could put the temps in the box to ship them to the plane owner, he puts his struts in the box and the temps on his plane. Ship them for inspection and when they are returned you just send the temps back for the next guy.
Of course if we can get the X-ray done at an annual fly-in, only the outlying guys would need the crates.
Hank

[crispy critter]

Re: When you take off those struts and cart them off to be inspected....

.. how are you protecting your aircraft? You're probably leaving the controls in place. simply supporting them at about head-height is risky and unless the aircraft is leveled you will put a twisting motion to the wing (unless you support both leading and trailing edges) - MikeH

Mike,
I wouldn't recommend anyone pulling thier struts and leaving the wings on a prop unless there airplane is hangered in a hanger by itself. If so then simply use some 1 to 4" straps around the wing and tie them from the hanger rafters or make some props to put under the wings.The wing strut fittings can simply rest on the prop or if you want to get fancy you can fabricate a bracket to your props that allow you to bolt your strut fittings to the props.

You may also use some 1 to 2" angle iron cut to the proper length,trim one side of the angle at each end then drill a hole in each end and bolt them in place of your struts(this method could even be used to support the wings safely even if your bird is tied outside).

[mhorowit]

Re: When you take off those struts and cart them off to be inspected....

Mike,
I wouldn't recommend anyone pulling thier struts and leaving the wings on a prop unless there airplane is hangered in a hanger by itself..

Oh, I'm nowhere near ready to address my struts except to admire them and wonder what the AD will resolve to by the time I'm ready for them !
I was just thinking about the poor folks that arn't hangered or are, but still have a risk of someone hitting the support. - MikeH

[VictorBravo]

Re: When you take off those struts and cart them off to be inspected....

Oh, I'm nowhere near ready to address my struts except to admire them and wonder what the AD will resolve to by the time I'm ready for them !
I was just thinking about the poor folks that arn't hangered or are, but still have a risk of someone hitting the support. - MikeH

A workable outdoor solution is a pair of 6 foot A-frame stepladders with an old airplane tire on to of each one, underneath the strut attach fitting on the bottom of each wing. Put a three foot stepstool under the tailwheel spring with some padding and lock it down to a tiedown with ropes through the rear fuselage handles.

Once the wings are level insert the stepladders with padding. Run some hardware store bolts through the wing fittings after the strut is out, and then run the wing tiedown ropes through the bolt gap, and lock the wings down onto the stepladders.

The wheels have to be chocked fully with heavy bricks, cinder blocks, etc.

If there is bad weather or winds cdoming, just don't do it and wait out the weather.

[mhorowit]

Re: When you take off those struts and cart them off to be inspected....

A workable outdoor solution is a pair of 6 foot A-frame stepladders with an old airplane tire on to of each one, underneath the strut attach fitting on the bottom of each wing. Put a three foot stepstool under the tailwheel spring with some padding and lock it down to a tiedown with ropes through the rear fuselage handles.

Once the wings are level insert the stepladders with padding. Run some hardware store bolts through the wing fittings after the strut is out, and then run the wing tiedown ropes through the bolt gap, and lock the wings down onto the stepladders.

The wheels have to be chocked fully with heavy bricks, cinder blocks, etc.

If there is bad weather or winds cdoming, just don't do it and wait out the weather.

Bill - a good reply, but this sounds like a recipe for disaster; how about parking an SUV under each wing, setting the brakes and...... - MikeH

[flyguy]

Re: When you take off those struts and cart them off to be inspected....

I suspect there are going to be people who just fly their airplanes.

[jdoran]

Re: When you take off those struts and cart them off to be inspected....

Could you hire two polish guys, one to hold up each wing?

[VictorBravo]

Re: When you take off those struts and cart them off to be inspected....

Bill - a good reply, but this sounds like a recipe for disaster; how about parking an SUV under each wing, setting the brakes and...... - MikeH

What about when the Soccer Mom needs one of the SUV's????

The Polish guys now have a union and demand $37.50 per hour plus health benefits.

Basically, the removal of wing struts is not well suited for an outdoor airplane. Neither is the Taylorcraft design come to think of it.

Another idea is to make a vertical strut out of a piece of metal conduit, that bolts into the existing fitting and extends straight down to the ground. The security of this is completely dependent on making sure the airplane does not move.

Then again, it ain't THAT awful to take the wings off but then you have to have a safe place for them which is a problem too.

[Forrest Barber]

Re: When you take off those struts and cart them off to be inspected....

Up here in Alliance, we can take the wings off and set them in cradles in about 2 hrs.... or less. I of course have old struts to use while the others are having the NDT work done. OR the angle iron or 3/4 pipe works too, you have to modify the ends of the pipe. Maybe put red yarn on the pipe so you do not fly off with them I do not have selected a firm in NE Ohio to do the testing but am real close, Next week for sure. I too am curious WHAT we will find out there in the field, I have seen sloppy maintenance before but egads some of these examples are ridiculous......

[whake]

Re: When you take off those struts and cart them off to be inspected....

I decided too, and have ordered a new set of struts from the factory. Harry said three or four weeks. The struts on my ' 45 T-Craft look fine and would probably pass. Hope the factory is sincere on their delivery.

[Robert Lees]

Re: When you take off those struts and cart them off to be inspected....

Let us know how you fare, Walter.

Rob

[Forrest Barber]

Re: When you take off those struts and cart them off to be inspected....

I will have many buyers for your old struts too!!

[Guest]

Re: When you take off those struts and cart them off to be inspected....

I will have many buyers for your old struts too!!

Read the AD carefully.

As written it does NOT allow the resuse of a used strut to replace a rusted one.

I only allows for a replacement with a new strut.

I mentioned this in a docket comment and on the phone to Andy and expect it to be changed.

[whake]

Re: When you take off those struts and cart them off to be inspected....

I will keep the resale in mind. Will take good care of the existing struts when removed and will make them available for reuse or research..Walt