Don’t be afraid to start over when you have a question or concern about a part; only be afraid if you don’t!
My new mantra! I finished my die spring shocks last week ……… and cut them up into pieces today. That’s right, I cut them up. I used the rather poor drawings from Air Craft Spruce that I got with the springs. As I built the shock struts I wasn’t convinced it was the best design as they had non removable springs. After finishing them I decided I really didn't like the design. My main concern was that with the springs non removable the tubes inside could not be inspected once everything was welded. After talking to other builders and operators who had the die spring shochs on their planes I decided to re-design the shock struts so the collers could be removed and everything taken apart for inspection. Below are the CAD drawings for the struts. I will set up a link (click on the drawings) so the drawings can be downloaded in a PDF format if someone wants to use my design.
Here is the first set I made ......... then cut up!
My new design below .......
Click here to download the die spring drawing in full pdf form.
Click here to download the collar assembly drawing in full pdf form.
These are the CAD drawings I did for the new design. Everything is fully removable for inspection. My next post will detail the construction of the struts.
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