This option is available directly from Lancair. They place the accumulator over the elevator push pull control tube on the control tube pass through housing between the retracted main tires. This is a heavy option. Keep in mind that if the blow down doesn't work you are out of options for getting the gear out. The hand pump will continue to deliver fluid until the reservoir is completely exhausted of hydraulic fluid. The electric pump is placed such that it cannot empty the reservoir leaving a truly redundant way to get the gear out with the hand pump.
The substantial weight penalty is further aggravated by moving the CG further aft. Suggest you think this option through carefully. I have not compared Lancair prices with others.
Jack Morgan
On Sep 6, 2011, at 6:01 AM, Lancair Mailing List wrote: Date: September 5, 2011 5:14:34 PM EDT
Subject: Re: [LML] Re: Gear Hand Pump LIV
I would like more info on this, before ordering...Perhaps a photo with instructions, cost and how heavy is it... Michael Matt,
Sounds interesting. do you have a schematic for this? I would just want to understand the failure modes before I ordered one.
Colyn Case On Sep 1, 2011, at 1:27 PM, Matthew Collier wrote: Mr. Paczkowski,
We have installed an emergency blow down accumulator in almost all of our customers IV's. They aren't light but are a much easier and faster way to get the gear down. When retrofitted to a flying IV we typically install the piston accumulator on the back of the spar box. Then we use two stainless steel ball valves mounted between the seats to operate the system, one on the forward spar box flange and the other on the aft. The forward valve releases the pressure holding the gear in the up position. The aft valve releases the fluid pressurized in the piston accumulator to the emergency side of the shuttle valve. When the valves are shut and the system is recharged in the down position the shuttle valve returns to its normal position and the accumulator will recharge during the next gear up cycle. We have had great success with this system and our customers even practice emergency blow downs in flight since it is completely reset each time without servicing.
Matthew
Fibercraft Inc.
On Wed, Aug 31, 2011 at 4:42 AM, Nicholas Paczkowski <npaczkowski@telus.net> wrote: Perhaps a dumb question (apologies in advance) but Is there a better alternative available to the manually operated hydraulic 'gear down' lever (such as a charged gas bottle) that would eliminate both the awkward lever and the seemingly inevitable leaking of hydraulic fluid? Thanks.
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