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When we were building our LIV, we found out that a Makita 9.6 v battery from our drill would power up the hydraulic pump enough to do 5 or 6 cycles of the gear!
It was an amazing thing, especially when we compared that to lifting a single wheel by hand. The little batteries pack a big punch.
The upshot of this is that I have been thinking about taking the case of an old Makita battery charger, cutting it apart, and making a mount somewhere in the cockpit to use for the 9.6 v as a backup in flight...
The battery itself weighs about a pound. I would be surprised if it would not be able to power the instruments for more than a half hour, including a gear extension.
Additionally, now Makita has come out with a 9.6 v NiMH battery that has about 60% more oomph than the older configuration.
Image, maybe the new battery will cycle the gear 6-8 cycles! And it is small enough to hold in your hand.
David Jones, Pecatonica, Illinois
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