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Help with designing a new undercarriage for my Falco

hello all.
I’m considering modifying my Falco undercarriage from this to this

Now, the problem with the ball screw arrangement is that it requires a lock-up mechanism.
I believe that there is a certified aircraft in the Piper/Cessna range that uses a similar system and utilises a solenoid brake to hold the gear up and would like to know more about both it’s construction/design and indeed exactly what aircraft has this system fitted.
Can anyone help?
Thanks in advance

[links fixed]

Forever learning
EGTB

Sonex aircraft tried ekectric gear for their mini-jet SubSonex. This is what they just wrote on their web site:

Unsatisfied with the level of reliability and possible failure modes of JSX-2’s original electric actuator landing gear system, the SubSonex development team began work immediately after AirVenture to convert the aircraft to a pneumatic landing gear system. The pneumatic actuators are simpler and more reliable with a longer service life, are available at lower cost, feature a simple and more reliable gear position indication system using hall effect sensors, and have a safer failure mode than the original electric gear — loss of air pressure in the system causes the gear to deploy and lock due to gravity

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway

There’s no way I’m going to re-design the whole system, I just want to improve on what’s already there.

Forever learning
EGTB

Yes, I understand that. I just meant to mention something worth keeping in mind for this kind of application.

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway

Thanks.
I was also considering the failure mode to be that the gear would drop due to gravity but I’m not sure I would want that happening at 150kts plus!

Forever learning
EGTB

It’s not going to drop unless you want it to. I haven’t seen how Sonex have built their mechanism, but the normal method is to use some over center mechanism to lock it in up and down positions. Extending it when there is no pressure, is simply a matter of releasing the lock. Knowing Sonex Aircraft, I would be surprised if they didn’t eventually make a “stand alone” kit product out of it, but it depends on the market potential.

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway
6 Posts
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