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Old 24th Oct 2019, 21:53
  #103 (permalink)  
DuncanDoenitz
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Cumbria
Posts: 366
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A couple of things from a retired Tucano EDIT Technician (the RAF's Engineering Development Team at Scampton in the early 90's). Some things only become apparent from the perspective of a new career:

The Embraer Tucano's wing and main gear were taken directly from the Piper Navajo. Embraer produced the Navajo Chieftain under licence in Brazil. (Embraer had obviously built too many Navajo wings).

More significantly; like most of the aircraft systems, Shorts undertook a complete re-design of the Tucano's hydraulic system (for some reason) using components of their own choosing. None of we technicians could ever understand why they installed a hydraulic reservoir vertically with its "suction" port at the top; it guarantees that, if there is any air in the system, that will be drawn into the pump in preference to hydraulic fluid. And why was it so big? Years later, I'm a Licensed Engineer learning the ropes on my then (Scotland's) airline's Shorts 360. I'm inspecting the hydraulic system, and there's the same reservoir, but in its intended, horizontal, orientation with the suction port at the bottom. (Shorts had obviously made too many 360 reservoirs. And it wouldn't fit in the Tucano's hole the right way up).
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