Richard Lerma
New member
Murrieta, CA
- Aircraft Year
- 1977
- Aircraft Type
- 114
- Reg Number
- formerly N260BG
- Serial Number
- 14238
Re: New Shimmy Dampners
Jim, I'm in. Thanks!
Jim, I'm in. Thanks!
-
Welcome to the new Commander Owners Group Forums. Please bear with us as the kinks are worked out and things are tweaked. If you have any questions or issues with the new platform, please post them here.
New Shimmy Dampners
- Thread starter jrichards
- Start date
MJN1316J
New member
Wheeling, IL
- Aircraft Year
- 1975
- Aircraft Type
- 112/A
- Reg Number
- N1316J
- Serial Number
- 316
Re: New Shimmy Dampners
Jim just looked at my shimmy damper today 1/2/2013, fresh out of annual rue serviced new rings, no shimmy yet but leaking like a 3 yr old with a runny nose. Definitely interested in your shimmy damper program, if you would keep me informed.
Sincerely
Marc j Niccoli
N1316J
Aka the( Batplane)
Commander air ventures
Jim just looked at my shimmy damper today 1/2/2013, fresh out of annual rue serviced new rings, no shimmy yet but leaking like a 3 yr old with a runny nose. Definitely interested in your shimmy damper program, if you would keep me informed.
Sincerely
Marc j Niccoli
N1316J
Aka the( Batplane)
Commander air ventures
N4843W
New member
SE MI
- Aircraft Year
- 1977
- Aircraft Type
- 114
- Reg Number
- N4843W
- Serial Number
- 14173
Re: New Shimmy Dampners
There's an idea ... super ... jim could call this the Super Shimmy Dampener. That would give us a Super Commander Extra Lite ... kind of like how proud I am that my plane has a few o-rings that are used on the Rockwell B-1 Bomber.
There's an idea ... super ... jim could call this the Super Shimmy Dampener. That would give us a Super Commander Extra Lite ... kind of like how proud I am that my plane has a few o-rings that are used on the Rockwell B-1 Bomber.
Sherman
New member
Columbia MD & Goldvein VA
- Aircraft Year
- 1978
- Aircraft Type
- 112TCA
- Reg Number
- N112HT
- Serial Number
- 13254
Re: New Shimmy Dampners
That's GREAT Jim- and a Super New Year 2013 Start for us all! Know you will keep us posted! and THANKS!!!! Sherman
That's GREAT Jim- and a Super New Year 2013 Start for us all! Know you will keep us posted! and THANKS!!!! Sherman
DKrueger
New member
Mt. Pleasant, SC
- Aircraft Year
- 1976
- Aircraft Type
- 114
- Reg Number
- N4761W (Former Owner)
- Serial Number
- 14091
Re: New Shimmy Dampners
Is there no company, such as LORD that makes a replacement? We have to re-engineer a new likely more expensive one. I am just asking since I've seen the LORD model on Bonanza's and Cessna's.
Is there no company, such as LORD that makes a replacement? We have to re-engineer a new likely more expensive one. I am just asking since I've seen the LORD model on Bonanza's and Cessna's.
South Burlington, VT
- Aircraft Year
- 1978 580
- Aircraft Type
- Super Commander
- Reg Number
- N555LP
- Serial Number
- 14405
Re: New Shimmy Dampners
Hi Dan and All,
Last year, I contacted Lord and inquired about them adapting their "solid state" design for our aircraft. They had no interest at all. We are just too small a market.
Anyway the good news is that I know our airplanes well and am confident we can improve the damper in ways that will extend the service lives of the many worn torque tubes in our fleet. Our preliminary motion analysis engineering seems to prove the feasibility of some of our ideas.
Interestingly, we found in analysis of the current (OEM) design that the damper, not the trunion stop pin, is serving as the left steer limit on some of our airplanes, with the damper bottoming out slightly before the stop pin is contacted. This likely explains why we've seen some dampers with significantly loose front plugs and static seals. Enough front end play has developed in some of these dampers to allow the unit to "pump" out, rather than leak, fluid.
I expect to contact those of you on our wait list within the next month or so to offer a pre-buy price. Your support will be crucial to the project.
Thanks,
Jim
Hi Dan and All,
Last year, I contacted Lord and inquired about them adapting their "solid state" design for our aircraft. They had no interest at all. We are just too small a market.
Anyway the good news is that I know our airplanes well and am confident we can improve the damper in ways that will extend the service lives of the many worn torque tubes in our fleet. Our preliminary motion analysis engineering seems to prove the feasibility of some of our ideas.
Interestingly, we found in analysis of the current (OEM) design that the damper, not the trunion stop pin, is serving as the left steer limit on some of our airplanes, with the damper bottoming out slightly before the stop pin is contacted. This likely explains why we've seen some dampers with significantly loose front plugs and static seals. Enough front end play has developed in some of these dampers to allow the unit to "pump" out, rather than leak, fluid.
I expect to contact those of you on our wait list within the next month or so to offer a pre-buy price. Your support will be crucial to the project.
Thanks,
Jim
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TKutchera
New member
Tucson, AZ
- Aircraft Year
- 1978
- Aircraft Type
- 114
- Reg Number
- N114SM
- Serial Number
- 14442
Re: New Shimmy Dampners
Jim,
I'm new to the Commander owner world but from the looks of it this may be a worthwhile part to keep on the shelf so Id like to be in too when you have some done.
Thanks,
Tim
Jim,
I'm new to the Commander owner world but from the looks of it this may be a worthwhile part to keep on the shelf so Id like to be in too when you have some done.
Thanks,
Tim
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Aircraft Year
- 1998
- Aircraft Type
- 114TC/115TC
- Reg Number
- N623TC
- Serial Number
- 20023
Re: New Shimmy Dampners
hi jim
i am interested
hi jim
i am interested
DKrueger
New member
Mt. Pleasant, SC
- Aircraft Year
- 1976
- Aircraft Type
- 114
- Reg Number
- N4761W (Former Owner)
- Serial Number
- 14091
Re: New Shimmy Dampners
Does anyone know the original supplier for this part? I can't believe Commander or Rockwell built this part in house. Why recreate the wheel, so to speak. It's wonderful that Jim and his people are willing, but it may not be necessary.
Does anyone know the original supplier for this part? I can't believe Commander or Rockwell built this part in house. Why recreate the wheel, so to speak. It's wonderful that Jim and his people are willing, but it may not be necessary.
Long Island, NY (USA)
- Aircraft Year
- 1976
- Aircraft Type
- 114
- Reg Number
- N127XY
- Serial Number
- 14039
Re: New Shimmy Dampners
The original supplier is no longer supplying them. It was Gerdes.
The original supplier is no longer supplying them. It was Gerdes.
Glendale, AZ
- Aircraft Type
- 112TCA
- Reg Number
- N91GM
- Serial Number
- 13184
Re: New Shimmy Dampners
I am sure Jim would not have undertaken this without checking for an alternate supplier, and verifying that none existed.
I am sure Jim would not have undertaken this without checking for an alternate supplier, and verifying that none existed.
Cincinnati, OH
- Aircraft Year
- 1998
- Aircraft Type
- 114TC/115TC
- Reg Number
- N114AD
- Serial Number
- 20020
I was speaking with Gar-Kenyon and it turns out they own all the old Gerdes drawings through a prior corporate acquisition. They are now producing PMA'd replacement gear actuators (both main and nose) for the AC11 line and are willing to investigate providing same for the shimmy dampeners. I shared some of the component part number information and they will be rooting through the old stuff (any of you engineering types of sufficient age will understand the nature of engineering data and vellum drawing storage from pre-CAD days) to identify the necessary info. New unit shimmy dampeners are NOT ready for shipment... yet. Will keep you posted as we hear more from Gar-Kenyon.
At first blush, it appeared that the early 112 actuators might not be supported through the existing PMA program (those with position switches); however, I learned Friday that they have identified some of those parts and are working on the PMA documentation for supporting those as well. I will be compiling some fleet data for them to abet the effort. More news as it happens.
Probably not much news for a bit while they dig out from Nemo.
At first blush, it appeared that the early 112 actuators might not be supported through the existing PMA program (those with position switches); however, I learned Friday that they have identified some of those parts and are working on the PMA documentation for supporting those as well. I will be compiling some fleet data for them to abet the effort. More news as it happens.
Probably not much news for a bit while they dig out from Nemo.
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