Flat struts on display

[Ken]

Airplanes on display at the NMUSAF all seem to have flat struts. I wonder if they've ever condsidered placing some sort of collar on the strut to give it proper extension. Most of the airplanes just don't look right in the "flat" stance.

[bdk]

When the struts are rebuilt they could put a spacer inside.

Having the struts collapsed protects the chromed portion of the strut although I'm not sure why that would matter with indoor storage.

Another concern is that you would't want to continually service the strut and if a seal blows out you could have fluid leakage and the wingtip could drop and hit another plane if they are stored with overlapping wings.

[mustangdriver]

Could you give me an example of which aircraft?

[Ken]

Yes, check out the A-10 & OV-10 for starters, but I believe the majority sit low. I just noticed some very high quality museum shots on the link someone provided (abandonedbutnotforgotten.com) and the flat struts are visible in several shots.

BDK makes a great point about having a seal leak and the potential for a vertical collision ... maybe an argument for spacers or collars?

The irony to me is that many of the aircraft appear to be sitting on their inflated tires ... which must be another periodic maintenance item as well.

I realize it's a small point, but it makes a difference in the presentation.

Ken

[PhantomAce08]

The irony to me is that many of the aircraft appear to be sitting on their inflated tires ... which must be another periodic maintenance item as well.

I could be wrong, but I think that the tires, or at least some of them are inflated with a jell that hardens once inside. Thats what we did with our F-4 tires.

[mustangdriver]

Phantom is correct. Most of the tires in the collection are filled with a jell that hardens preserving the tire and making it impossible for it to go flat. As for the flat struts, I think it is more of a safety thing, but I have to tell you that I never noticed before.

[Ken]

Looking back in the archives, this thread was my first post on WIX. A lot of water under the bridge since then.

[JimH]

They have been like that since the 70's. The P-38 and 262 are particularly annoying, they just don't have the proper stance when deflated. I went through my webshots photos and ALOT of them are flat, more than I even remember. As a kid I saw Bill Ross' and his P-38 at the airshow in Akron and it looked like it was a mile off the ground just sitting there. Later that year we took a trip to the USAFM and my dad took a photo of me in front of the museums 38 and I could almost reach up and touch the nose.

jh

[T-28mike]

It was, and likely still is, NMUSAF policy that any aircraft (in their system) on display has their struts protected from collapsing either by a collar (internal or external) or discharged (flat) to prevent one from going out and either injuring persons or property.

[JimH]

It was, and likely still is, NMUSAF policy that any aircraft (in their system) on display has their struts protected from collapsing either by a collar (internal or external) or discharged (flat) to prevent one from going out and either injuring persons or property.

a static airplane injuring persons or property...NOW thats funny, absurd, but funny. It's so darn dark in there they are more likely to walk into an airplane and injure themelves. I'd understand the lack of money for strut collars better if they had a high electric (light) bill, but most people can't see the airplanes well enough to know the struts are flat.

jh

[big fatty]

just weld them extended then you don't have to worry about it

[Steve Nelson]

I understand the struts on indoor static display aircraft have to be drained along with all the other fluids, to comply with environmental, safety, and fire regulations.

a static airplane injuring persons or property...NOW thats funny, absurd, but funny.

Well, I suppose leaking fluid could create a significant slip-and-fall hazard (and a lawsuit wating to happen.)

sn

[T-28mike]

Or when Junior has his fingers in the torque links when a flat strut decides to "un stick" and collapse because he was kicking the tire.

[Ken]

I don't see other top tier museums doing the same.

[JimH]

I understand the struts on indoor static display aircraft have to be drained along with all the other fluids, to comply with environmental, safety, and fire regulations.

a static airplane injuring persons or property...NOW thats funny, absurd, but funny.

Well, I suppose leaking fluid could create a significant slip-and-fall hazard (and a lawsuit wating to happen.)

sn

so...if indoor static aircraft have to be drained to comply, yada yads, doesn't that make your next comment irrelevant?

Or when Junior has his fingers in the torque links when a flat strut decides to "un stick" and collapse because he was kicking the tire.

so...a strut collar would prevent any failure of parental supervision....and most of us have been around airplanes long enough to know that stuts don't just collapse...there is usually a slow, very visible trail of fluid before the strut compresses...especially for an a/c that is not in use.

They have been like that, or atleast most of them, for more than 35 years...it ain't gonna change...it's a misrepresentation of the aircraft...but in the long run, who cares, atleast they are there to look at.

jh