BULLDOG T.1 in service information please.

[777fly]

I am trustee of a group operating an ex RAF Bulldog in the UK. We have an issue, in that our aircraft’s control column handgrips are approaching time expiry with currently no replacement items available. I am in contact with the CAA to request an alleviation of an AD, which is still in place, mandating replacement of these items at 5 year intervals ( 10 years in some circumstances) The AD addresses the issue of some in flight failures of handgrips in military service after prolonged exposure to UV radiation.
In service, Bulldogs were regularly left in the open all day. I believe that any in service failures occurred in low latitude countries where UV radiation is intense. Our aircraft is hangared for almost 300 days a year and when used is generally exposed to low levels of UV. The rationale for the AD is not relevant to current civil operations of the aircraft. CAA seem unwilling to consider an alleviation to the AD, quoting ‘ numerous’ handgrip failures and several serious accidents as a result. I have been unable to trace any information to test the veracity of these statements, which I have challenged. I would like to ask anyone with in service experience of the Bulldog, either as flight crew or in a maintenance capacity, if they have any information on this issue or can remember any incidents or accidents related to it. Any feedback gratefully received .

[Ken Scott]

I flew the Bulldog as a QFI in the 90s, never heard that this was a problem.

[Firestreak]

I was the Boss of a UAS for 3 years, never heard of this ‘problem​​​​​​’

[ShyTorque]

I also flew the Bulldog as a UAS QFI for a few years, I never heard of this problem either.

But perhaps it was because the RAF changed the hand grips; or maybe they didn't. I really don't know the answer.

[Ken Scott]

777fly: I don’t feel we’re being much help! The replies do seem to indicate that there was no obvious problem at an operational level - as I recall the only stick problem we had was the whole control column came away & the QFI had to fly back using the other stick.

Your best bet would be to speak with someone with an engineering background on the Bulldog, for all I know they may have been changing the sticks regularly but they wouldn’t have bothered telling us!

[Big Eric]

There's an excellent group on Facebook called 'Beagle Pup and Bulldog Club' which has many, many owners of both kinds of aircraft as members. There is plenty of technical help available on there and someone should be able to assist. Good luck with finding the answer and getting your issue sorted.

[Pugilistic Animus]

Cute little plane...

[Cole Burner]

777fly - check your PMs.

[meleagertoo]

In what sense is the the handgrip said to 'fail'?
Does it fall off, break in half, crumble, turn to mush - or what?

[18greens]

I remember this being discussed a lot when the Bulldog came onto the private register (along with a lot of FI chat) .I have never heard of an issue with a CC failing.

I always imagined if the plastic bit at the top 'failed' there would still be enough of the metal CC left to be able to land. I often wondered how hard it would be to reach across to use the P2 CC to land.

Can you not fashion replacements out of wood or metal to make this issue go away?

[NutLoose]

Have you tried?

Aircraft Parts for Sale

[NutLoose]

They are looking at manufacturing them, see

Beagle New Website

[Well Travelled Nav]

Try PM SHARPEND on this forum. I believe his book mentions replacement of a control column so he may be able to provide more details.

[212man]

I had a few 'seat-handgrip interface' failures in my time!

A (non-exhasutivelook through this list does not seem to show this as a problem: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/type/BDOG<!--
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[H Peacock]

Had the joys of the Bulldog 84-86. Im sure I recall an issue with stick-tops, but thought that was to do with them coming loose.

RPM Max
Mixture Rich
Induction Air Cold
Booster pump On
Fuel contents
Flaps Inter
Harness tight
Canopy latched

Happy days!!!

and I've not been near one in over 30 years!

[ExAscoteer2]

Erm actually it was:

RPM Max
Mixture Fully Rich
Induction Air Cold
Booster pump On AND Audible
Fuel contents sufficient
Flaps Inter
Harness tight
Canopy latched
Parking Brake OFF

[hugh flung_dung]

Whilst teaching aeros in a 'Dog some years ago and heading upwards for a stude stall turn right there was a strangled "I'm going to die" noise from my left (I was watching the right wingtip). When I turned to look at the poor stude he was holding the grip, which had "come off in his hand, guv" and which now had a couple of wires sticking-out of it - but not as far as his eyes were sticking-out of his head ;-) I laughed and asked him what he was going to do, whereupon he applied rudder and sorted it out. RTB and landing were flown by him using the stbd stick - a useful but unplanned exercise. Moral of the story: the grips can fail.
I can't recall where it broke, but there was a small amount still attached to the column.

HFD

[meleagertoo]

Originally Posted by ExAscoteer2

Erm actually it was:

RPM Max
Mixture Fully Rich
Induction Air Cold
Booster pump On AND Audible
Fuel contents sufficient
Flaps Inter
Harness tight
Canopy latched
Parking Brake OFF

Are you sure it wasn't 'Fuel contents sufficient, balanced and feeding from both'? Or was that only HASELL checks?

[ExAscoteer2]

Originally Posted by meleagertoo

Are you sure it wasn't 'Fuel contents sufficient, balanced and feeding from both'? Or was that only HASELL checks?

You are quite right, it shold have been:

Fuel Contents sufficient Both tanks selected.

Mea culpa.