Piper Cub Struts
 

Anybody out there know why rag and tube Pipers need to have the struts x-rayed and Aeroncas, Cessnas etc. don't? Does this make the Aeroncas etc. potentially unsafe? They corrode just as well as the Piper struts being made of the same material. I wouldn't want to take any chances in this area as having wings clap hands over my head would DEFINITELY spoil my day but I would like to know just how bad corrosion has to be before the unthinkable happens.

Playing devil's advocate, is this a repetition of the crankshaft corrosion fiasco that grounded so many planes a few years ago? Remember that? It was when they found NEW,off the shelf, Continental cranks with machining marks which exceeded the corrosion pitting allowance and were thus scrap in the CAA's eyes. Nobody ever proved that corrosion caused a crankshaft to shed a prop yet thousands of pounds were spent inspecting and/or repairing perfectly serviceable aircraft.

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When the wheels stop turning you're high enuff. CubTrek. To slowly go...

No, it's because Aeroncas are betterer than Cubs and last longer, fly better and don't corrode - tee hee.

Hi LowNSlow,

I seem to remember reading recently (US APOA magazine?) that some idiot killed himself in a horribly maintained Cub. Somewhere in the US, I think? The damn thing had struts in such a mess that you could shove your finger through in a few places. Many local pilots shaking their heads whenever the thing went near the threshold. Death trap.

Guess what? Wing separation and ker-splat. My sympathies to the family... blah, blah, blah.

The FAA decided to implement an immediate AD, or whatever, that all J3s need to have their struts x-rayed on a regular basis.

Sheer cr*p, of course. A badly maintained anything will lose a wing given enough time.

Have a look on the US AOPA site. I reckon you'll find something about it all there.

The worrying thing is that some other prat may prang a C120, Aeronca or whatever, in similar fashion.

Tricky Woo, I thought it had to be some knid of knee-jerk reaction caused by some jerk entering the Darwin Awards. I've seen some strutted aircraft with obvious corrosion around the strut/fork end joints. Not sure I'd be too comfortable with that unless it was shown to be surface corrosion by dye-pen, ultrasonic or x-ray testing.

Time to dig out the wallet and get it sorted. At least I know that I'll be safe even if I will be around 2k poorer!

Extra, lovely as they are, they aren't as much fun are they. Seriously though, if I was in the market for another plane (roll on that lottery win) I'd be after an Aeronca and a Spitfire, P-51..........

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When the wheels stop turning you're high enuff. CubTrek. To slowly go...

lowNslow. Do I understand its going to cost you 2k for the X-rays or is that for new struts. If its the former, I have a similar requirement on the nose-wheel strut on my AA-5.
However, we know a man who is ex-BAe who has a mobile X-ray machine and therefore there is no dismantle/reassemble cost. If that might be of use, let me know. :)

rightstuffer, thanks for the tip. The 2k is the fitted cost, including painting, of a set of sealed struts. This obviates the need for the x-ray every two years. One of my struts is dented (somebody couldn't read the NO STEP notice on the strut) so that would have to be replaced anyway. Knowing of somebody with a mobile x-ray machine is still handy knowledge though, thanks.

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When the wheels stop turning you're high enuff. CubTrek. To slowly go...