Wear And Tear

The right aileron was binding during aerobatic maneuvers. Investigation revealed the clearance between the aileron and the aileron bay rib was approximately 1/16 inch. Per American Champion, it should be inch. The inboard aileron bay rib appeared to have bowed due to fabric shrinkage, causing the interference. The aileron rib fabric was opened and the rib was relocated outboard 3/16 inch. Per the manufacturer, aileron balancing was not required. The aileron was reinstalled, with the clearance and operation satisfactory.

Key Takeaways:

• An American Champion 7GCAA experienced aileron binding due to an inboard rib bowing from fabric shrinkage, requiring the rib to be relocated for proper clearance.
• Plastic rudder pedal bearings in a Cessna T210M broke due to aging, prompting recommendations for alternative materials or defined replacement intervals.
• A Piper PA34-200T showed excessive wear on its nose landing gear steering mount, highlighting a need for the manufacturer to provide service limits and repair data for this critical component.
• Other component failures reported include a broken contact arm in a Slick 4370 magneto and recurring instances of shattered Sky Tec starter end caps on Cessna 172S aircraft.

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