Mike,

That is interesting news - Is the new model made by someone other than ESCO?  Has the fundamental design changed?  There are a number of ways to increase the damping in the current models if it is needed.  I like the idea of a second o-ring. 

The grease plate test is another one that is probably not done as often as needed.  Prior to the self centering modification, one only needed to raise the nose gear off the ground to check the damping.  This check is particularly important for new installations.  After a rebuild it can take 30+ full cycles from stop to stop to work out all the air and dead spots.  Worn internal parts can also result in dead spots without damping.  Does the SB you mention specify a minimum torque at some angular velocity to use as a pass/fail criteria?  I have checked a number of struts on flying planes over the years and have found a wide range in damping.  Of course I could not tell the owners how much damping force is enough damping force.

Chris

 

 

 

 

Chris Zavatson

N91CZ

360std

www.N91CZ.com