New Shimmy Dampners

[Richard Lerma]

Re: New Shimmy Dampners

Jim, I'm in. Thanks!

 

[com112bb]

Re: New Shimmy Dampners

i'm also interested. used your rebuild kit a few months ago and increased the pressure from 10 to 15psi...would still like to see 20psi.

 

[tb163]

Re: New Shimmy Dampners

Put me down too, I am sure it will needs serviced/replaced someday, Steve

 

[MJN1316J]

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

 

[tb163]

Re: New Shimmy Dampners

I am interested, let me know!!!, price?? steve

 

[jrichards]

Re: New Shimmy Dampners

Thanks all for your interest.

We have started the engineering.

Jim

 

[plight]

Re: New Shimmy Dampners

Super

 

[N4843W]

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.

 

[Sherman]

Re: New Shimmy Dampners

Thanks all for your interest.

We have started the engineering.

Jim

That's GREAT Jim- and a Super New Year 2013 Start for us all! Know you will keep us posted! and THANKS!!!! Sherman

 

[marcelo67]

Re: New Shimmy Dampners

Jim,
As long as the price is right,put me down for one too.

 

[DKrueger]

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.

 

[jrichards]

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

 

[TKutchera]

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

 

[wel@wilroff.nl]

Re: New Shimmy Dampners

hi jim

i am interested

 

[plight]

Re: New Shimmy Dampners

Jim,

I'm interested as well.

 

[DKrueger]

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.

 

[FS]

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.

The original supplier is no longer supplying them. It was Gerdes.

 

[Commander91gm]

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.

I am sure Jim would not have undertaken this without checking for an alternate supplier, and verifying that none existed.

 

[wab003]

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.

 

[DKrueger]

Re: New Shimmy Dampners

Bill,

You folks are the best. The Officer's of this group do such great work. Thanks to you all for the hard work.