Update from Avweb

CESSNA CONFIRMS SKYMASTER WING INSPECTIONS
Cessna Aircraft Company this week confirmed to AVweb it is developing a supplemental inspection document (SID) focused on the wing attachment points of its long out-of-production model 336/337 centerline-thrust piston twins. According to company spokeperson Doug Oliver, the forthcoming SID may be released as early as the third quarter of 2010 and will call for "relatively involved" inspection procedures despite there being no related accident or incident. Although a SID is not mandatory for non-commercial small piston-powered aircraft registered in the U.S., operators in other countries may be required to perform the inspection by their regulatory authorities. Cessna, for its part, would consider the inspection called for under the SID mandatory, according to Oliver. AVweb

For more information about the proposed SID's on the Cessna Skymaster go to:

Cessna SID Update - Skymaster Forum

The Skymaster Owners have been working with Cessna on the content of these proposed SID's and have concerns about the inspections of the wing/strut attach points. This will be a very expensive procedure and in most cases will exceed the value of the aircraft. It may not be required here in the USA for Part 91 operation but other foreign jurisdictions will be subjected to perform these inspections immediately. The planned format for the published inspections will be included in a new Service Manual for each model Skymaster and potentially could raise questions during routine annual inspections. Given that the design of the attach points are of the same design in all high wing Cessna aircraft, it can only be assumed that these same inspections will be written for the entire high wing Cessna fleet.

"This will be a very expensive procedure and in most cases will exceed the value of the aircraft. "

Yeah lets not worry about weather it is necessary or not.

Will have to find another use for the recently overhauled engine, if the Council closes the aerodrome anyway.!

Boat anchor sounds good

Was thinking more Airboat motor, rather than mooring anchor..

Frigatebird, build an RV!

Get to fly in my hanger co-sharers sometimes when he invites me - nice ship. Sensitive. Needs an autopilot and upgraded to I.F.R. Tend to embarass him sometimes when I comment that he hasn't fully shut the canopy on the take-off roll though.. Goes faster than my old girl but I can take my back seats out and carry more than he can..

Firigatebird...........maybe my IFR RV has the payload you need......... But you cant have her!:}

January 6, 2010

Cessna Confirms Skymaster Wing Inspections

By Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside, Aviation Safety Editor-in-Chief


Cessna Aircraft Company this week confirmed to AVweb it is developing a supplemental inspection document (SID) focused on the wing attachment points of its long out-of-production model 336/337 centerline-thrust piston twins. According to company spokeperson Doug Oliver, the forthcoming SID may be released as early as the third quarter of 2010 and will call for "relatively involved" inspection procedures despite there being no related accident or incident. Although a SID is not mandatory for non-commercial small piston-powered aircraft registered in the U.S., operators in other countries may be required to perform the inspection by their regulatory authorities. Cessna, for its part, would consider the inspection called for under the SID mandatory, according to Oliver. AVweb first reported Cessna was developing the SID late last month.

"We continually look at aircraft still flying in a light driving us toward safe operations," Oliver told AVweb. The company's ongoing effort to develop the new inspection procedure is part of that effort, he said. Although the company is not prepared to state what it has found as part of its continuous airworthiness program for the 336/337 fleet, speculation is additional stress is placed on the wing structure by the types' twin-boom tail configuration. "Using advanced systems and techniques, Cessna has become proficient in fatigue analysis, so when we started looking at our various fleet models, we knew the twin-boom design of the 336/337 had higher loading than a single-fuselage design and it is one of the early aircraft addressed," Oliver told AVweb via e-mail.

my italics and bolds

Maybe will not filter over to rest of the strutted fleet as feared.

Oz Bus you are dreaming

Maybe will not filter over to rest of the strutted fleet as feared.

With the corrosion found in recent times in various C 172 spar carry through stuctures the high wing SIDS is not far away.

We need to take note of the fact most of the C 150 / C 152 / C 172 used in training are antiques by any measure.

Fair comment Joker10. So what has Cessna done differently in the current model to alleviate the concerns raised in the same model manufactured previous to 1982?

OZBUSDRIVER

Corrosion proofing, option only on pre 90's models.
And only rarely seen at that.

corroision proofing = optional extra always was still is !!

Glad the original owner of my old C310 took that option. she is old and corrosion free. The corrosion proofing does a very good job.

An option is NOT a change in manufacturing process!

If corrosion proofing is required to protect the assembly then it is no option.

EDIT-One hopes Cessna does come to the party if this be the case...however, only seen this assembly in heavily exposed airframe wrecks. Excepting that water may possibly sit on the top of the flange of vertically aligned laminates...is there a a vector for moisture invasion at this point of the airframe?

I must be wrong, I thought Cessna now did corrosion proof (prime) all their modern airframes:uhoh:

Maybe modern airframes get the treatment, a 30 year old spam can is unlikely to have such luxury.

The HARS team have seen some real shockers in recent times by unriveting the skin over the carry through spar on the smaller high wing aircraft.

No argument about old airframes, my old girl was de-skinned and primed about 12 years ago because Cessna didnt do it many years before that.:p