closed tail gearbox... glue it in the boom?

[the collective]

My buddy is at MHA, unfortunately some medical issues keep me from attending this year.

His Tempest slung the tail gearbox off today during a piro, and he tells me that guys that are still flying the older closed box are gluing them into the boom to prevent this from happening.

I fly the closed box on my Extreme, but I've never heard of gluing the gearbox into the boom until today... I guess I'd do it if it's necessary, but I've never had a problem with the gearbox coming off, and I'd be worried about removal if the need to replace the boom comes up...

Anyone care to share the inside scoop on this?

[Toadster25]

I think that they have screws that go through the boom and into the box to keep it from sliding out. Maybe the older ones didn't though?

[marked23]

I think they mean gluing the gearbox clamp onto the boom, not gluing the gearbox itself.

There is one tiny sheet-metal screw that goes through the clamp and through the boom and sort of pokes into a pocket in the neck of the closed box. If that screw comes out, the tail can fly off. It's funny to see the torque tube shoot out like an arrow... :? Clamped, glued and screwed: two out of three isn't good enough.

Been there, done that, had to land the auto inverted. Added a second screw and more glue to hold both screws in place. And added screw inspection to my preflight checks.

Some folks are using the new plastic clamp (the one for the open tail box) with the closed tail box. There is a post around here somewhere with details.

-Mark

[DavidH]

http://www.helifreak.com/viewtopic.php?t=2884&highlight=clamp

Here was what I did when the open gear box clamp first became available. Now there is a closed gear box that has four mounting ears just the open box. So it will bolt directly to the clamp.

David

[marked23]

Is there a new part number for the 4-screw closed housing?

-Mark