Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2001 14:35:40 -0400
From: Marvin Kaye <74740.231@compuserve.com>
Subject: Re: LNC2 gear retract
Sender: Marvin Kaye <74740.231@compuserve.com>
To: Lancair Mail List <lancair.list@olsusa.com>
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Posted for Sky2high@aol.com:

Matt,

Arnie (Lancair 360) had a similar problem on our Flight-of-two return from 
the Reno Stay-on-the-Ground Races.  He first had a no-retract problem on
his 
IFR departure from Ogden, Utah and then we spent Sunday resolving the
problem 
enough to fly home.  He tried everything in the air including releasing the

pressure with the dump valve.  On the ground, even the gear down function 
would not work until we jumpered the pressure switch and ran the pump with 
the dump valve opened.  Voltage measurements indicated the up (high)
pressure 
switch (old version 2) would not close and Don Goetz suggestion was
followed 
- to wit, we obtained some wire and a discarded Cessa switch and bypassed
the 
pressure switch with the plan that Arnie would know when the gear was 
retracted and the shut off the switch just like the pressure sensor would. 

Unfortunately, the "up" relay was also bad and the courtesy car took us to
an 
Auto-Zone where the "old guy" (used to fly a Luscombe) knew exactly what we

needed - an older Ford starter relay with switch and indicate terminals.  
Replacement wasn't too difficult (my muscles still hurt) to jury rig.  This

condition was the least of our problems for the remainder of our 
fly-in-the-weather IFR serial-punishment trip home starting the next day. 
I 
am memorializing this in the soon-to-be-released "Diary of an Odyssey".

Analysis - Arnie would occasionly pull the 50 amp motor breaker, but not
the 
relay breaker wired thru the "miscellaneous" breaker.  Please, wire the
relay 
power on the far side of the motor breaker with a breaker or fuse so that 
pulling the motor breaker will remove all power from the system.  
Intermittent relays do strange things if selected for a long period of
time.  
Your system will not indicate any selection.  Heat will cause the wire 
insulation to melt within the relay and ultimately freeze the plunger, 
perhaps open, perhaps closed.

Secondly, for God's sake, protect the indicator light wire with a fuse
since 
you didn't use wire capable of carrying 50 amps.  Also, use diodes to
protect 
that you don't back-feed the motor thru the other indicator wire. 

BTW, there was no indication of imminent failure from the prior day's
flight, 
where everything worked "normally."

Scott Krueger
N92EX
We cannot flee unless we fix it on the fly.
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Please send your photos and drawings to marvkaye@olsusa.com.
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