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SE-1070-7 – Textron Aviation OEM Shimmy Damper Assembly for Cessna Caravan Airplanes
Available now on the Airparts.aero Marketplace.
Overview
The Textron Aviation SE-1070-7 is a genuine OEM, flight-critical shimmy damper assembly, an essential component of the nose landing gear (NLG) system for the Cessna 208 and 208B Caravan. This is not a simple shock absorber; it is a precision-engineered viscous rotary damper, manufactured by industry leaders like Lord Corporation, designed for a single purpose: to prevent and quell nose wheel shimmy. Shimmy is a violent, uncontrolled oscillation of the nose wheel that can lead to a loss of directional control and catastrophic structural damage. The SE-1070-7 is a sealed, maintenance-free unit that provides the critical damping force necessary for safe and stable ground handling in all conditions.
This self-contained damper is a cornerstone of the Caravan's robust landing gear, a system renowned for its reliability in demanding, off-airport, and utility operations. As a genuine Textron OEM part, it guarantees the correct damping characteristics and service life required for this flight-critical safety system.
Key Features
Viscous Damping Technology: Utilizes a highly viscous silicone-based fluid sheared between a series of alternating rotating and stationary plates. This design provides a pure damping force that is proportional to the rotational velocity of the nose wheel fork, effectively absorbing and dissipating the energy of any shimmy oscillation.
Maintenance-Free Sealed Unit: The entire assembly is hermetically sealed, containing the viscous fluid and internal plates in a maintenance-free unit. This eliminates the need for periodic servicing or fluid replenishment, providing a reliable "fit-and-forget" solution.
360-Degree Damping: Provides a smooth, consistent damping force throughout the full 360 degrees of rotation, ensuring effective shimmy control regardless of the nose wheel's position or the direction of the oscillation.
High-Strength Construction: Features a robust housing, a splined shaft for a positive connection to the nose gear strut, and an arm for linkage to the stationary gear structure, all fabricated from high-strength, corrosion-resistant materials.
Genuine Textron OEM Part: As a genuine factory component, it guarantees a perfect fit, certified damping rates, and the fluid viscosity specified by Textron's engineers for the unique dynamic characteristics of the Caravan's nose gear.
Technical Specifications
Part Number: SE-1070-7
Component Type: Viscous Rotary Shimmy Damper
OEM Manufacturer (Typical): Lord Corporation (Parker LORD)
Damping Medium: High-Viscosity Silicone Fluid
Mechanism: Fluid Shear between Alternating Rotor/Stator Plates
Primary Function: Damps nose wheel shimmy oscillations.
Serviceability: Non-repairable, on-condition replacement unit.
Certification: FAA Production Approval
Aircraft Compatibility
The SE-1070-7 is the specified OEM nose gear shimmy damper for the world's most popular utility turboprop aircraft.
Primary Aircraft Models:
Cessna 208 Caravan
Cessna 208B Grand Caravan / Super Cargomaster
Applications
The SE-1070-7 is a flight-critical component essential for the safety of all ground operations:
Nose Wheel Stability: Its sole purpose is to prevent the onset of and rapidly damp out any lateral oscillations (shimmy) of the nose wheel during taxi, takeoff, and landing rollout.
Component Replacement: Must be replaced if it fails a functional test (e.g., has no resistance to turning), shows any signs of leaking silicone fluid, or is damaged.
Why Choose SE-1070-7?
Nose wheel shimmy can range from a minor annoyance to a violent, uncontrollable event that can cause the pilot to lose control of the aircraft on the ground. The SE-1070-7 damper is the only component that prevents this. Using a genuine Textron Aviation OEM part is the only way to ensure the damper has the correct, factory-certified damping fluid and internal clearances to perform this critical safety function as intended by the aircraft's designers. For a component this vital to ground safety, there is no substitute.
The SE-1070-7 viscous shimmy damper operates on the principle of fluid shear. The sealed housing is filled with a thick, silicone-based fluid with a very high viscosity that remains stable across a wide temperature range. Inside, a series of plates are connected to the rotating input shaft (rotors), and these are interleaved with a series of plates fixed to the stationary housing (stators), all with microscopic clearances between them. When the nose wheel tries to shimmy, the rapid oscillation forces the rotor plates to move through the highly viscous fluid. The fluid resists being sheared, and this resistance creates a powerful damping torque that is proportional to the speed of the oscillation. This action effectively converts the mechanical energy of the shimmy into a small amount of heat within the fluid, rapidly calming the oscillation and ensuring the nose wheel remains stable.
Note: This is a flight-critical landing gear component. Installation must be performed by a certified A&P mechanic in strict accordance with the current Textron Aviation (Cessna) maintenance manual. Proper rigging of the damper arm and linkage is essential for its correct operation. A full functional check of the nose gear steering system is required after installation.
