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Date: Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:19:55 -0400
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From: "Dan Reagan" <dreagan@fuse.net>
References: <redirect-3760222@logan.com>
Subject: Re: Retractable Step IV-P
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My experience with the step after much time spent trying to make it work 
100% is the following:
At 120 knots and level it works.
At 130 knots it does not work
At 110 knots it does not work
At 120 knots in a non level attitude it does not work.

Some times ATC just doesn't understand my step dilemma.

I'm still working on it.

Dan Reagan
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Janie & Ed Smith" <2luv2fly@cox.net>
To: <lml@lancaironline.net>
Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 12:47 PM
Subject: Retractable Step IV-P


> "I've done it alone many times, several times just trying to figure a way 
> to make the "retractable" step actually work, before I finally gave up and 
> disconnected the cable and just locked it down."
>
>
> John,
>
> The retractable step has been quite an "opportunity" for us as well.  They 
> certainly didn't put their "best man" on the engineering and design for 
> the step.
>
> There are many reasons why the step doesn't work, but the main reason ours 
> didn't extend with the gear was because the spring just didn't seem to be 
> quite strong enough to overcome the resistance of the aerodynamics under 
> the wing.  I felt like the air flow under the wing was a contributor to 
> the step staying in the retracted position because every time we put the 
> airplane on jacks and cycled the gear - everything worked perfectly!  The 
> step would fall down and only take a "nudge" to get it into the locked 
> position.  My thoughts were that the wind load would push it to the down & 
> locked position, so I concentrated on getting the step to make that 
> initial movement to the down position.
>
> I found a company in Norfolk, VA that specializes in custom springs and I 
> had them make a spring for me that was about 30% stronger.  Right away, we 
> noticed an improvement because the step would extend, but only at about 
> 100 kts.  Anything above that speed resulted in the step being on the 
> wrong side of the gear.  Eventually, after 4 tries of different spring 
> sizes, we now have a step that extend @ 140 kts - just about every time. 
> The only down side to all of this is that the custom one-of-a-kind springs 
> cost $40. each. Of course, in the whole scheme of things - that is a small 
> cost for the convenience of having a step.  Like the A/C that Jeff was 
> talking about - - it sure is nice and Janie (better half) likes it, so 
> there "ain't" no problem with the cost!!  <grin>  You know the old story 
> about Mamma being happy!
>
> Tailwinds,
>
> Ed Smith
> N9JE
> Chesapeake, VA
>
>
>
>
>
>