Anyone received their new factory struts yet?

[cpirrmann]

Re: Anyone received their new factory struts yet?

Feckless politicians and the lack of an attorney to take the case for what may be a small fee.

[flyguy]

Re: Anyone received their new factory struts yet?

From the things I've heard from members, I don't know why the guy isn't in jail.
DC

[SOPWITH2K]

Re: Anyone received their new factory struts yet?

I have been watching the discussion about struts and I have to wonder why anyone would want to support that thief Harry Ingram when you have other options. My BC12-D had both rear struts and one front replaced with Univair so I ordered the other front strut from Univair. Their service was excellent and communication via email was as well.

I sent an email to Harry and told him that in place of the $6,000 he stole from me in Octtober 2004, he could send me a set of struts and we could call it even. Waiting for a reply.

I wouldn't give him any $ until you have the product in hand.

Paul Girard N95318

[Forrest Barber]

Re: Anyone received their new factory struts yet?

Thank you Mike , see how easy it is to communicate with all the members and even non-members who get onto the discussion forumn. No charge for the free advertising .....

Anything we here AT THE TAYLORCRAFT FOUNDATION can do to bolster the applicability situation , I am here , have been here and will be here!

If you recall I visited Univair way back in Nov , 06 . I thought the strut Part# situation ( ie A-A815, A-A854? ) had been cleared up back then I left you all the Parts & Price list copy with strut numbers.

THAT Part# is good on all Models "A" thru latest "F-22" , talked with
the FAA engineer Andy McAnaul in the beginning back in July he said the ball was in your court then.
I have been under the opinion that if a customer orders by Part# A-A815, A-A854 , and your "equivalent" is UA-A815 then we bolt her on.....it is a bit clearer now. thanks Forrest Barber

[N96337]

Re: Anyone received their new factory struts yet?

You Betcha! Your biggest concern is that you can document the source of your purchase, but as Bill Berle points out in his posting we mark a U inside a circle on our struts to help identify them. What you won't have is our AMOC letter. No problem. Go to www.univair.com. Go the the task bar, look for "SVC BULL and ADS" and stands for Service Bulletins and Airworthiness Directives. Click on it, scroll down to T-Craft, find the AMOC, print out the pdf and you are good to go. I put that up on the web for guys just like you.

Happy Flying

Mike Sellers
Univair

Thank you VERY MUCH Mike, that's wonderful news to my customer! (as well as me and others, I'm sure!) I really DO appreciate you coming on here and providing us with this information!!
John Hanson

[flyguy]

Re: Anyone received their new factory struts yet?

"A couple of years ago a guy in an Ercoupe with a buddy was screwing around out in CA. He overstressed the airplane, the center section failed and two people died. In the subsequent investigation it was found that 12 rivets that hold the web to the spar cap were corroded all the way through. These would not have been found in a visible inspection. The failed rivets were not the cause of the accident."

I'm about 95% sure this is the aircraft that was reported by an IA as being improperly repaired as mentioned in a previous post. It was the center section that was repaired after being damaged in a hard landing. (this is all second hand information as I have not seen the accident report--but it came from involved persons)

DC

[VictorBravo]

Re: Anyone received their new factory struts yet?

THANKS Mike !!! I appreciate your effort. As mentioned I have Univair front struts... my rear struts are so far so good... but if/when I need rear struts it is good to know Univair cares enough to find the right answers and get all the correct airplanes on the paperwork.

Now if you'd just be kind enough to make an improved cooling baffle system for the T-craft... and the lower cowlings... and the landing gears... and the STC for L-2 spoilers... :joy::joy:

[UNIVAIR]

Re: Anyone received their new factory struts yet?

Mike, is my 1940 BC-65 legal or not to fly with Univair front struts ?

In researching your answer we have dug up some interesting info that will allow us to add the model applicability for the F-19/F21 and the B series to our approval. This will include your BC-65.

This won't be something that will happen right away. The Feds are not known in working real fast. It could be as much as 3 months before this gets worked through. When it does, nobody can give you any flack about our struts on your BC-65. We are going to rush this through as quick as we can.

Mike

[UNIVAIR]

Re: Anyone received their new factory struts yet?

Bill, you've made me do a little work to answer your question.

Our PMA is specific on its model applicability. It states BC12-D/D1 and BCS12-D/D1. In the old days when we would apply for a PMA for say a Super Cub, we could just put down PA-18 and the FAA would accept that to cover the entire series. Now, we have to state PA-18-95, PA-18-105, PA-18-115, etc. etc. They want specifics. True your airplane is on the same TC as the BC12 series and depending on how hard nosed you I.A. wants to be, it will likely determine how things turn out. If you have a parts book for a BC, BF, or BL-65 that call out our strut part numbers, that may help your case. We are going to try to get your airplane added to our model applicability and if anybody has an old parts book with that information in it to help document things, it would help grease the skids on this end.

We have an old T-Craft drawing for the front strut. It lists 3 different struts cross sections and three different materials, 1010, 1025 and 4130 annealed. So take your pick. However, something of interest that has bearing on your first question is on the drawing block at the bottom of the drawing, it shows the A-A815 strut is applicable on the B and B12 models. If this would be of any assistance to you, email me at [email protected] with your email address and I will try to scan this thing and fire it off to you.

[VictorBravo]

Re: Anyone received their new factory struts yet?

Mike, is my 1940 BC-65 legal or not to fly with Univair front struts ?

[UNIVAIR]

Re: Anyone received their new factory struts yet?

I appreciate the kind words by you and others. Sometimes it does feel like we have a target painted on our backs, but enough of that. To give you an illustration of how this inspection stuff goes: A couple of years ago a guy in an Ercoupe with a buddy was screwing around out in CA. He overstressed the airplane, the center section failed and two people died. In the subsequent investigation it was found that 12 rivets that hold the web to the spar cap were corroded all the way through. These would not have been found in a visible inspection. The failed rivets were not the cause of the accident. We later issued a Service Bulletin which requires a NDT ultrasonic tranducer inspection by a qualified NDT specialist of all the rivets in the center section. This is costing the Coupe guys about $700 to $1400 each. Of all the inspections done, I'm only aware of about 6 airplanes that have had bad rivets. One of the owners of the 6 airplanes called me up to give me an earfull about the cost of the inspection to say "...and he only found 7 bad rivets!" You feel bad for the guys who don't find anything. Six airplanes out of the fleet so far, big deal. The guys who do find bad rivets are usually apppreciative. Given the law of averages, maybe this is overkill. However, one of the acid tests around here we have to use is "OK, how will that sound to a jury?'

[UNIVAIR]

Re: Anyone received their new factory struts yet?

Mike, so does that mean if we installed a Univair strut since 12/1/92 that it's a sealed strut and does not have to be replaced or inspected?
I'm eagerly awaiting reply.
JH

You Betcha! Your biggest concern is that you can document the source of your purchase, but as Bill Berle points out in his posting we mark a U inside a circle on our struts to help identify them. What you won't have is our AMOC letter. No problem. Go to www.univair.com. Go the the task bar, look for "SVC BULL and ADS" and stands for Service Bulletins and Airworthiness Directives. Click on it, scroll down to T-Craft, find the AMOC, print out the pdf and you are good to go. I put that up on the web for guys just like you.

Happy Flying

Mike Sellers
Univair

[cpirrmann]

Re: Anyone received their new factory struts yet?

Very good, clear, concise info Mike, thanks for chiming in. I echo what Mr. Jarrett said.

[tawadc95]

Re: Anyone received their new factory struts yet?

thanks for the time to write Mike.

[N96337]

Re: Anyone received their new factory struts yet?

Here is the official skinny: We have had an FAA-PMA approval on both front and rear lift struts for the BC12-D/D1 and BCS12-D/D1 since 12/1/1992. These have been sealed and internally oiled since that time. What is sealed? Sealed is a bushing that is welded at the top attach bolt hole to prevent water from getting in (front). The rear has a cap welded down where the adjuster is to prevent water from getting in or moisture weeping in. We then use the same Val oil to slosh the inside of the strut just like we have done on tens of thousands of Piper and Aeronca sealed struts that we have manufactured.

Sincerely yours,

Mike Sellers
Marketing and Sales Manager
Univair Aircraft Corporation
Aurora, CO

Mike, so does that mean if we installed a Univair strut since 12/1/92 that it's a sealed strut and does not have to be replaced or inspected?
I'm eagerly awaiting reply.
JH