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Canopy gas strut attachment

R

RGaines

Well Known Member
The attach point of the gas strut to the longeron is loose. It is the F-1202y and there is a K1000-4 nut plate behind it. One part of the nutplate is cracked, and when the canopy is all the way up, the bolt that the strut attaches to wobbles when the canopy is moved. Both sides are the same. I checked one other -12 and it is the same. Is this common and not a problem?

Rich
 
I loosened up my gas strut rod end attach bolts to prevent shear stress on the plastic rod ends. Can't speak to any other RV-12s.
 
I believe that Van's offers an upgraded bushing for the lower canopy strut attachment pivot that has a larger diameter base -- that might spread out the stress a bit.
 
I have had three gas strut failures on my RV12 SLSA in 101 Hours TTSN. All three have been in the top rod end and all three rod ends broke on the upper side. I think that when you open the canopy while you are sitting in the airplane and you let go of it as it opens the last few inches the plastic rod end takes all the load and then breaks. I think the plastic rod ends are the problem and I think the problem could be solved by metal rod ends.

The strut attachments were not over torqued and I oiled them regularly to prevent chafing.

I am amazed that there have not been more failures reported. I have had three and I did not abuse the struts.

EBB
 
My airplane was manufactured by Synergy Air in March to June 2014 so those changes were included. The failures still happened.

EBB
 
Ex Bonanza Bucko said:
when you open the canopy while you are sitting in the airplane and you let go of it as it opens the last few inches the plastic rod end takes all the load and then breaks.
Click to expand...
That's how one of mine broke, so I stopped doing it. I hold the canopy all the way up now.
 
I've always held the canopy until the struts are fully extended. I also keep a hand on it in windy conditions and try to park into the wind. That practice slammed it down once causing a trim deformation because I had something across the longeron. I am considering fabricating a strut to attach to the crash arch and canopy bow to take the stress off the struts in windy conditions.
 
I have metal ends on order for my gas struts. I probably won't receive and get them installed before Oshkosh, but I should get that done shortly after, and I will post the facts, such as any required mods to the new end, etc. along with a source for the ends. In fact, I would even be glad to source them myself, if they need to be modified, and/or there was an interest within the group. Stay Tuned!!

Tom
 
Thanks, Bill. I have seen that and it's pretty clever! I'm thinking about a strut because this only keeps the canopy from closing. If I have to park with the tail into the wind I'd like to have a strut that takes the tension off the gas struts. I seem to recall one post about a guy whose canopy was up when a gust snapped the rod ends and the canopy slammed forward. That would be UGLY!
 
Bill_H said:
RFS - see this post - http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showpost.php?p=990167&postcount=12
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip Bill... but it came 1 week too late for me :). I was on tie down in an airport with my canopy open. A business jet made a 180 in front of me to get in position to refuel. I first saw my hat go and then my canopy slammed down (I was unfortunately turning my back and did not see it coming). Two good news in the aftermath: the canopy was not cracked because the handle was in the locked position and it absorbed the energy of the shock. The handle was bent and nothing else was damaged. Second good news: the handle is made of soft metal and was easy to unbend in a vise.
What I learned:
- Never tie down anywhere near the airport fuel station
- Always leave the canopy handle in the locked position when the canopy is open: a fellow RV-12 owner had his canopy cracked when it was slammed shut by the wind with the handle in the unlocked position
 
This might be a strut concern?

I developed some separation of the fiberglass and plex, on the curve, just forward the strut attachment area. A gap appeared on both sides in the same location. It was about 1/4 deep and followed the curve about 4 inches, and the deepest de-lamination was in the center and was less forward and aft on the curve.

I cleaned it up as best I could, prepared some epoxy resin, and filled the void. I finished the new edge and will have to do a little touch up, but will wait a while to see how this holds.

There isn't as much flex with this canopy and frame like my RV6, but the problem area is about where it would twist and flex the most. Also in the same area where the top of the strut mounts. Something to watch.
 
I received my new metal gas strut ends today. The outside dimensions are perfect, as is the threaded end. The mounting hole in the new metal end is .316". No problem to open this up to 3/8" to accommodate the new style bushing for the fuselage attachment. The canopy end will require another change, since the bushing that Van provides for that end is only .250". So, I'm thinking that the easiest fix would be to order extra fuselage end bushings, shorten the shoulder to match the dimension of the old canopy end bushings, and open the hole up in the new metal end to the required .375". Now, I would have beefy metal ends on both ends, and large diameter bushings, to boot. Any comments will be greatly appreciated..............Tom
 
That is indeed great news! Keep us informed as to where we can get the parts to duplicate yours.
 
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