Lift Strut Brackets - Thrustes and Vision 600s

[Guest TOSGcentral]

Up-Date on Thruster & Vision 600 lift strut to spar attachment brackets.

 

I have been in discussion with the RA-Aus Tech Manager regarding clarification of a few AD’s that intermixed the two types. This is a thumb nail sketch:

 

The T600/Vision 600s (Ns and Ts) are a different type to any earlier Thruster.

 

ALL Thrusters have been grounded until they be inspected under RA-Aus M_AN 27-10-04. This is because defective brackets could have been retrofitted (including to the single seaters).

 

An easy and obvious way of spotting defective brackets on the Oz Thrusters (other than Visions) are that the attachment flange is seam welded instead of spot welded. This does not require any strip down to easily see!

 

Any seam welded brackets are defective and need to be replaced. TOSG has an engineering order and production facility now in place to replace all four brackets for $270 inclusive of postage, instructions and detailed fitting instructions.

 

The Visions have totally different brackets but an AD is now out on them also. This came from a UK Thruster factory Service Bulletin where a T600N was found (on inspection) to be developing cracks in the brackets. This was not attributed to flight stresses but to indifferent tie down procedure for a long period in the open over a UK winter.

 

RA-Aus have now developed the UK SB into our own AD applicable to Vision 600s. Registered owners have been notified and I am trying to clean up the rest.

 

Take note that Vision 600 brackets have seam welding as standard – that is the way they are made! So you are after inspection for cracks in bend radii on the brackets. Please see the RA-Aus web site for current information.

 

Personal Rant! I am a bit fed up with a lot of all this which has taken a lot of unpaid time out of my hide! I do not begrudge that but I am totally exasperated that so much paper warfare has come out of all this. It must surely be axiomatic on pre-flight to check that the bits that keep the lift struts connected to the wings are serviceable – then take an extra good look at them on scheduled inspections!

 

Any one who fails to do this (on ANY strutted aircraft) is a bloody lunatic and should not be left alone with a shopping trolley – let alone an aircraft!

 

Aye

 

Tony

 

 

[Thruster87]

I appreciate the work you do for TOSG Tony so Thank You.Cheers Alan

 

 

[Guest Guest]

I also appreciate the work you do for TOSG Tony keep it up Thank You.