Alan Waters
Well-Known Member
We have an airplane sitting static. The upper part of the engine mount is held in tension while the lower part is held in compression. Now, when the airplane is in straight and level flight, is there a point where all of the engine mount is in tension. Discounting the P factor which would place the right side of the mount in tension and the left side in compression. Since the tail acts as a lever pushing down at all speeds it seems to me the mount would never be completely in tension except when flying straight up, as in the case of an aerobatic airplane. HBA member BUCKY is going to post some photos of an engine mount which he replaced on a Piper due to cracks. The cracks are on the right side, the tension side, which makes sense to me. I would think a crack would occur sooner in tension than in compression. What do you think? Regards to all, Alan
