Quicksilver MX Airframe Troubleshooting

QUICKSILVER MX TENSION STRUT DAMAGE - The MX has two suspension struts running from the axle to the nose wheel. Elongation of the holes in these tubes has been reported, where the bolt passes through a channel bracket, and then into the suspension strut, immediately in front of the axle. 

In training one of the first things many schools in Canada did was to sleeve these tubes by riveting a short sleeve over the end of the tube. As well many schools replaced the wing nuts and safety pins used here with an AN self locking nut and bolt, and used a saddle between the channel bracket and tube.

This helped cut down on wear by eliminating some of the movement allowed by the use of wing nuts.

QUICKSILVER MX TAIL SKID - Another tube which has shown to wear over time is the tail skid. The most noticeable area of wear is on the area of the skid that comes in contact with the ground. A simple solution is to over sleeve the tail skid with a clear replaceable chunk of rubber hose. The tail skid has also shown wear in the holes used to connect the tail skid to the horizontal stab, and tail support. 

This wear can be eliminated somewhat by the use of an AN bolt and self locking nut, rather than the wing nut and safety ring supplied by the manufacturer.

Quicksilver MX Pit Pin Failure - All early model MXs came with pit pins for ease of assembly and disassembly. These proved over the long run to be not as strong as an AN bolt, or the stainless T pins which replaced them.

The original pins were known to bend, break, rust, and in some cases work there way out of the channel brackets. It is highly recommended that if your MX has these style of pins that they be immediately removed and replaced with AN nuts and bolts or stainless T pins with lock rings. 

Attaching the tension strut to the nose strut on old style MXs are two eye bolts, and an AN3 bolt. This eye bolt has been known to shear at the head. When this happens it allows the tension strut to fall down. On takeoff it can result in the strut digging into the ground, causing possible injury to the pilot, and severe damage to the aircraft.

If the bolt breaks during flight the strut simply hangs down but is generally bent beyond repair after being landed on. The new MX Sprint features a bracket and bolt system that eliminates this problem, and is adaptable to the MX.

Quicksilver MX Flying On Floats!

Practicing Dead Stick Landings in a Quicksilver MX