Inflating Nose Strut

[wakeboarder2342]

I talked to my mechanic today and while he was fixing a loose tube to the manifold pressure guage he notice the nose strut needed inflating.

However he says with the canard and stuff it is dang near impossible to get to the fitting?

hes going to try to find an attachment with a 90 degree head rather then a 45 but i thought id ask anyway and see if maybe todd has any suggestions on the best way to inflate it?

[Louise Scudieri]

I believe it's darn near impossible even without the canard. My mechanic has tried to add by lying backwards under the plane & blindly fitting onto the valve via the cowl flap opening, but we ended up taking off the cowl in order to (still difficult) reach the valve.

Louise

[Todd]

Inflating the nose strut really isn't all that difficult once you get the hang of it. Remove the bottom cowl, run the air hose in from the co-pilots side over the breather tube and behind the engine controls. Sitting in front of the nose strut use your right hand to push the chuck down on the valve core and there you go. We just did an IO-550 prop clearance check for the FAA and I had to deflate and reinflate the nose strut a couple of times. Using the above method it is relatively easy.

Todd

[TommyN]

I am doing an annual on N735PX which is the same plane that was the subject of the start of this thread. My A&P thinks that the strut is overextended. I believe that he measured 4.5 in. and, from memory, he thinks this is out of spec. He will check on this but I thought I would ask the list if there is some reason that the 260SE strut should be inflated more than a normal 182? Thanks for any advice.
Blue skies,
Tom

[joejenie]

Jim,

Did you buy a plane? If so, which one?

[wakeboarder2342]

Joe,


I had one i was about to do a prebuy on but after they sent me pictures inside the wings i had to pass, there was a pretty good amount of corrosion.


I am now looking at this plane, just waiting on logs to get here

http://www.aso.com/listings/spec/ViewAd.aspx?id=108700


Anyone care to comment on it?

[joejenie]

The one you are looking at has been for sale for at least 2-3 years. He was asking too much money for a long time (and still is IMHO). 100-110k tops if I was purchasing. I know you, so I'm sure your offer was 80k... :D

[wakeboarder2342]

The one you are looking at has been for sale for at least 2-3 years. He was asking too much money for a long time (and still is IMHO). 100-110k tops if I was purchasing. I know you, so I'm sure your offer was 80k... :D

Lets just say i agree with where you are valuing the plane!



I do think 110k is a great deal on this plane providing nothing major is wrong with it.


Pros are

-Great panel with Garmin 530, good autopilot audio panel ect
-Low time airframe under 3000 hrs
- great paint and interior, been hangard since the conversion in 1999


Cons being

- engine is high time and not great compressions, low 60s all around, the guy says that the plane has flown 45 hrs total in the last 4 years which is a negative and probably why the compressions are so low. Maybe flying it hard for a while would bring them back up.
- one of the fuel bladders is original, the other was replaced about 10 yrs ago
so probably going to have some expense there soon.


He is mailing me a copy of the logs right now and so ill know more in the next few days. he also gave me the number of the mechanic that has been doing the maintenance so ill give him a call and see what his thoughts are.

[Todd]

The nose strut extension is a function of the airplanes use. The 260SE that normally flies off a paved runway doesn't need as much nose strut extension as one that flies off dirt and gravel. Cessna doesn't designate a given distance the nose strut should be extended. Rather they give a pressure range the nose strut should be inflated to. With all that said if you put your hand up next to the nose strut the strut should normally be extended about four fingers width. If the airplane is used off pavement I would increase that. The problem is if the nose strut is over inflated it makes moving the airplane backward difficult as the nose strut tends to lock out straight ahead when over extended.