Why not load share instead of each strut carrying the entire load?
The MD operates based on strut engagement with geometric features on a notch plate. The exact instant of engagement for each strut depends on the exact dimensions of both strut and notch plate. There is no degree of precision sufficient to ensure that more than one strut will have exactly the same instant of engagement. Therefore, load sharing, by way of simultaneous strut engagement is unreliable and cannot be assumed for load capacity determination. However, load sharing can and does help in sizing components for fatigue life in those cases where fatigue strength is the limiting design factor. Design of an MD for nominal load sharing between two struts doubles the quantity of struts and springs or cuts the available resolution in half for a design with the same component count.
