Looking for a serviceable LS4 rudder

[Larry Ruggiero]

One of our club members might have need of one.

Larry Ruggiero
Carolina Soaring Assoc, Spartanburg SC

[[email protected]]

Curious: What is wrong with the current one? It would have to be some really interesting damage to be unrepairable.

[Larry Ruggiero]

I’m our club’s A&P but haven’t seen it yet. His tow bar broke and glider rolled into the back of his vehicle. It may be repairable but I’m covering our bases just in case it’s not.

Larry Ruggiero

[Jonathon May]

At 12:08 13 April 2020, Larry Ruggiero wrote:
>I=E2=80=99m our club=E2=80=99s A&P but
haven=E2=80=99t seen it yet. His
>tow=
> bar broke and glider rolled into the back of his vehicle. It
may be
>repair=
>able but I=E2=80=99m covering our bases just in case
it=E2=80=99s not.
>
>Larry Ruggiero
>

The problem with rudders is mass balance.
Any work done on the trailing edge adds weight at the max
distance from the pivot point so you need to be able to add a
lot more forward of the pivot.
Typically 12 " to the Trailing edge 2"to the leading edge.
So for a 2oz repair you are trying to find space for 12oz of
lead.

[Stephen Szikora]

The rudder on my LS4 had a repair to the trailing edge. The rudder was refinished in polyurethane rather than gelcoat and that helped bring it within the weight and balance limits (which are very specific re trailing edge weight.)

[Martin Gregorie[_6_]]

On Mon, 13 Apr 2020 05:08:40 -0700, Larry Ruggiero wrote:

> I’m our club’s A&P but haven’t seen it yet. His tow bar broke and glider
> rolled into the back of his vehicle. It may be repairable but I’m
> covering our bases just in case it’s not.
>
> Larry Ruggiero
>
I had exactly the same thing happen to an ASW-20. Fortunately, a
replacement rudder was available fron the UK Schleicher agent.

The cause of the accident was a remarkably badly engineered towbar mount
on the tail dolly: it must have been an accident waiting to happen for
several years. Photos and analysis here:

https://www.gregorie.org/gliding/dolly/index.html

I hope this page stops anybody else having a smashed rudder caused by a
similar failure.


--
Martin | martin at
Gregorie | gregorie dot org

[Larry Ruggiero]

That’s good to know, thanks.