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1. 05:47 PM - re gear cct breaker pop (was falco list flop) (Mike & Lee Anne Wiebe)
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| Subject: | re gear cct breaker pop (was falco list flop) |
Ian - you are the man! Exactly what's needed is a good juicy topic to
discuss.
I was determined to avoid the retraction pop, and seem to have
succeeded. To me, the trick here is to eliminate the long run of wire
from the battery buss bar, thru the gear switch, down to the gear motor.
I wired heavy gauge (forgive me, I forget how heavy) from the solenoid
below the baggage compartment, to the relays mounted right next to the
gear motor - a total distance of about 3.5 feet. Then I fed the "field"
side of the relays with fine gauge wire from the gear switch on the
panel. This did necessitate an extra breaker, and so I now have the
main gear breaker right in the lower centre console (within inches of
the relays and gear motor), but in plane sight. The second breaker is a
"gear field" breaker on the fine gauge side of the circuit - a normal
breaker on my instrument panel. This system has never tripped during
motion. We have nose gear doors but no main gear doors; we use Alfred's
recommended grease and don't pay too much attention to grease
accumulation; we fly regularly from grass strips (though nothing like a
certain sheep farm I know of in Australia!); the retract transmission is
geared at 10.5 seconds (another TeamWiebeT custom install).
I experience the G-load pop on a regular basis (but it can't be because
of aerobatics, since I'm not licensed in the Falco for aerobatics in
Canada <g>). This is despite George providing me the perfect solution
to the problem when I visited him, as described by Ian. Sorry George,
I've been too busy flying to implement it! Ian, I think you may be on
to something with the idea of moving the up limit switch to a main gear
leg. However, I think I'd be sure to not give in to temptation and move
the down limit switch as well. It just makes me feel safer to have the
down limit switch on the nose gear, because that one matters more to my
pride and pocketbook. FWIW, I think mine G-load pops at less than 2.5
G's, probably no more than 2G's. If it's a turbulent day, I need to
remember the breaker. The only concern I'd have with moving the up
limit switch would be difficulty of adjustment. Every annual, when I go
to check the "down and locked" contact switch (we installed a system
that shows "three green" for landing), it's a pain in the @** to get up
in there and make sure nothing is bent or mis-aligned. I once had a
failed gear down indication on the right hand side, and actually had to
adjust that little switch. I think that having it under the cowling is
definitely better for access and adjustment.
Related note - those of you who've seen our airplane know that the panel
is far from stock. In the process of adding Electronics International
engine and systems gauges, I also added their voice warning system.
This monitors all their instruments and has the capability of having a
couple of analog inputs driving into it as well. I installed an
airspeed switch into the pitot line and set it for about 78 knots. In
parallel, I installed a microswitch on the flaps and set it for 16
degrees (more than takeoff flap, and less than landing flap). So in
flight if I slow down below 78 knots, OR put on landing flap, I get a
nice chime and a female voice into the headset that says "check landing
gear". That, and about 3 redundant checklists, and we're good to go!
Have a good new year all. Lee Anne I are going to the cottage tomorrow
for the long weekend, where it's minus 20 C and apparently the power
went out this afternoon thanks to freezing rain bringing down the hydro
lines. If I survive, I'll talk to you all when we're back, a whole year
from now!
Mike
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