Mailing List lml@lancaironline.net Message #3635
From: Theo Mulder <tlm@innetix.com>
Sender: <theo@innetix.com>
Subject: Lancair IV Air Brake Problems
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1999 09:09:51 -0700
To: <lancair.list@olsusa.com>
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I have been experiencing unreliable operation with airbrakes from Bill
Maddox's company Superior Aircraft.
The airbrake controler is the problem. Before the aircraft was first flowen the airbrakes were tested and would
not shutdown after extension or retraction. The controler was then
returned to the developer a guy called  Eddie Sines EdSines@aol.com who
then claimed there was nothing wrong with the controller and returned
it. After plugging the controller back in the harness it worked
perfectly.
After less than 20 minutes of use in 40 hours of flying the controller
failed again but this time with the brakes extended and not retracting
during a decent.
It turns out the TSIO550 engine can overpower the brakes below a IAS of
about 140knts. Ground checks then again showed the same problem observed
when the airbrakes were installed. Wiring was naturally the first
suspect but after the simple harness was triple checked by 3 individuals
with no problems the unit was returned to Sines. Here comes the hard to
accept part. After recieving the unit he tested it and claims no
problems and returned it. The unit was then plugged back in the aircraft
and it now works perfectly again. I have now requested the schematics for the controller from Sines as a
last ditch effort before removing the controller and designing my own.
I am a mixed signal intigrated circuit design engineer running my own
design business. I have built a Lancair 360 and a IV from scratch
including all the electrical.

Does anybody have operational experience with the Maddox air brakes in
the Lancair IV ? Please email me with any information as I doubt Sines
will send me any information.
--
Theo Mulder.
Tel/FAX:408.942.1944
Cell: 408.206.3601
Pager:  510.892.9958
email:  tlm@innetix.com

LML website:   http://www.olsusa.com/Users/Mkaye/maillist.html
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