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Last winter, I noticed that my canopy gas struts seemed weak and would occasionally allow the canopy to fall down.  I decided to purchase new ones from Lancair and replaced the old struts.  This year, even with the new struts, canopy still falls down occasionally, although not as bad as before.  The cold weather must be affecting these struts, weakening them considerably.  Struts similar to these are also used to extend the nose gear if the electro-hydraulic gear extension system fails.  I decided to test the emergency gear extension on two recent flights.  Normally, the nose gear light comes on almost immediately, however, during the first test, the nose gear lights did not come on at all.  Only after loading the plane with some positive G's did it finally come on.  On a warmer day, did the test again but this time nose gear light came on immediately.  Note that during my last annual (April 2000),  I removed and tested the nose gear strut and it exerted more than 90lbs on the scale.  Sorry, forgot to note down actually temps during the tests, although frist test was BELOW freezing and second test, ABOVE.

Conclusion:  Pressure exerted by these gas struts are marginal during very cold temps.  If the nose gear strut fails to fully extend the nose gear during an emergency gear extension,  positive 'G' manuevers will be required to lock the nose gear in place.

Rick Argente

LML website:   http://www.olsusa.com/Users/Mkaye/maillist.html
LML Builders' Bookstore:   http://www.buildersbooks.com/lancair

Please send your photos and drawings to marvkaye@olsusa.com.