Electric Motor Actuator for Manual Gear question..

[Mooneyland]

Do any of you old schoolers remember an electric motor actuator that was invented for the manual gear Mooney's? I need to see if it is still available for one of my customer's needs.

As I recall, you still have to hit the cradle button to release the Johnson Bar but then the motor takes over.

Lemme know,

thanks,

richard zephro @ Mooneyland

[Mooneyland]

Thanks for the info. The owner is a retired gent who hurt his hand raising the gear somehow and he wants to go electric so I am looking for the cheapest and best solution short of having to sell his bird and find him an electric one.

Regards,

richard zephro

[TurboExec]

He must really love his bird....(who doesn't).  But I would imagine it would be cheaper to sell and buy an electric one.  You'll end up with a newer model year most likely and with this market you'll take a hit on the sale, but it wouldn't cost much more to step up to say a 201...

[Mooneyland]

Even though I would be involved in the sale of his bird and the purchase of another with electric gear, I'd still rather try everything else first as his F model was already equipped with a Garmin 530 which is hard to find in F's and early 201's.

Next week sometime I'm going to fly with Bill in his F model over to Boyd Maddox's hanger in Houston. We're going to put the bird up on jacks for Johnson Bar practice. I also think that one of the new tires (Michelin Condor) is making contact with the gear well because the last couple inches of travel requires heavy pushing like you're pushing against the air pressure of the tire, so Boyd will also check that out as he installed the new tires during pre-buy inspection. We're also going to find out what it was down near the floor that injured Bill's hand during gear transition.

Thanks for the inputs.

Richard Zephro

[Cruiser]

Quote: TurboExec

He must really love his bird....(who doesn't).  But I would imagine it would be cheaper to sell and buy an electric one.  You'll end up with a newer model year most likely and with this market you'll take a hit on the sale, but it wouldn't cost much more to step up to say a 201...

[Mooneyland]

Sure enough. There ain't nuthin' cheap about flying. It's a matter of trying not to get screwed every time you turn around on some repair or upgrade which is why I'm trying to settle this problem prior to him upgrading; new taxes, etc. I think once we get her on jacks and practice plus making sure nothing is sticking out from the co-pilot seat frame that he came in contact with; he'll be okay. Hell, if I could teach a small woman customer how to operate the Johnson bar, I think I can teach an old Military flight instructor....

richard

[jbreda]

I saw your post and wondered what you found as the reason why the Johnson Bar was difficult to get to the floor (last part of gear retratction).  I have a completely rebuilt 68 F and we hae a similar problem.  The main gear retraction springs were replaced as were the large springs in the belly.  The belly springs are fully relaxed when the gear is fully retracted which may not be correct.  Please let me know what you found in your situation as it may give me some clues of where to look next.

John Breda

[Steve65E-NC]

Back about 1994 I met a Mooney owner, last name Crowell, in Hendersonville, NC.  He was an established inventor and skilled tinkerer.  He had developed a vacumn assist to his Jo Bar.  He had added double doors and was also getting pretty old and so needed the assist.   It was a big low pressure pneumatic cylinder (maype 4" diameter) sort of thing.  I think he may have even received an STC.  Since getting the gear down is not a problem there is no safety issue for lost vacumn.  I am pretty sure he is dead by now (pretty old then).  I recall that he had talked to SWTA about marketing the mod.  They may still have some information.

Steve 65E NC