From: Janie & Ed Smith <2luv2fly@cox.net>
Subject: [LML] Gear Door Issues
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2009, 9:42 PM
Monday Evening
3/30/09

Group,

On the take offs during our testing phase, I could always
hear the main gear doors "slam shut" - even though
I was wearing a noise-canceling headset. The sound reminded
me of an old wooden screen door slamming - it was that loud.

After the test phase, I noticed that the right main gear
door flange was beginning to form a hairline crack in a
couple of places.  I asked several people if they had ever
had this problem and the consensus was that the
"slamming" was nothing unusual.  I tried adjusting
the hydraulic pressure, using a weaker spring on the back of
the gear door and even adding the second spring on the gear
doors.  Nothing corrected the problem and the
"slamming" continued.  I thought about changing
the location of the "reducer fittings" on the main
gear cylinders (from the rear to the front), but decided
against that - not knowing what effect that would have on
the emergency hand pump.

During all of the test cycling of the gear, it appeared
that the cylinder, when it was almost at the end of its
stroke, that there was no resistance to the pull that the
gear door springs were exerting - resulting in the
"slamming".

Bob Pastusek suggested that I look at a "snubber"
to help cushion the last inch of travel of the gear leg. Net result - it worked!!  I ordered the snubbers from
McMaster Carr and received them in two days (from NJ).  The
mounting blocks that are available with the snubbers have a
2-1/2" hole spacing and that happens to be the exact
hole spacing of our nylon "stop blocks" that our
gear rests against when retracted.

Long story short - problem solved.  Now we can move on to
the other "opportunities" that we have to work on.
 <grin>  I have enclosed some photos of our
installation so you can get an idea of what I'm talking
about. If anyone needs the "snubber" information,
just let me know.

Regards,

Ed Smith
Chesapeake, VA
N9JE - flying with easy-closing gear doors! --
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