Cool Idea

[Tcraft938]

I recently saw a swift getting an annual inspection and noticed something that I thought was a cool idea and dirt simple.  A wire rod that attached to the gear door extending forward to just forward of the leading edge and then bent upward to be above and perpendicular to the leading edge when landing gear is extended.  When gear is retracted it's parallel to the wing about 1/2" below it.  Much more informative than a green light that is connected to a switch that holds the J-Bar.  Just look left and right and if see that wire sticking up, you know your mains are down and locked.

I jokingly said, "hey lets do that to the 20C!!"  He took me serious, told me it would require 337 and FAA approval and a bunch of other things he told me.  I'm thinking, really? for a wire and two screws?

Then he does his best to act serious and angry, but the smirk gave him away.....  "now look you're a new Mooney owner so I will cut you some slack this one time, but you fail to see the huge reason why you can't do such a thing.  You have a Mooney for cripe sake, a paragon of speed and efficiency, you do that it will be 1/2 kt slower and kill the clean aesthetics and that my boy is Mooney Blasphemy.  Now wash your mouth Philips XC, say ten hail Lycomings, put $5 my poor box and your grounded from the Mooney for ten days, and oh, give me the keys I'll exercise her for you".  

Geez you'd think I wanted to bolt a big mirror on it.  :-)   So of course at annual I'm going to have to come up with something else I want to do, just to get him going.  Any suggestions?  Maybe review mirrors or turn signals? 

Hope no one minded the levity.  However, the wire is a simple and effective indicator. 

 

[0TreeLemur]

While flying my '67C with a Vietnam-era USAF veteran pilot of C-141s then airliners, the green light didn't come on when I lowered the gear.   I triple checked that the J-Bar was in the "gear down position" and locked by pulling down hard on the collar.   Deferring to his many decades of seniority- I pointed at the dark green light asked him what he thought.   He said "your gear are down and locked" without hesitation...   A Johnson bar is a better indicator that a wire vibrating in the wind, IMHO.   It it is up in the vertical position and the collar is locked, your landing gear are as down as they are going to get.

[steingar]

My J-bar just developed an interesting failure mode where the gear can lock down securely but the safe light doesn't come on and the gear warning sounds at low RPM.  A squirt of lube was sufficient to rectify the situation.  I love my Johnson bar despite the troubles I've had with it.  I can always easily tell what's going on with the gear, and because I had so much trouble learning to do it I suspect it will be hard to forget.  Still, I'll take it over some drag inducing indicator wire. I didn't buy a Mooney to fly 1/2 knot slower!

[gsxrpilot]

A sharp tug on the J-bar is the best gear indicator there is. 

Mooney was thinking way ahead of you... and certainly Univair.

[Yetti]

That's what the floor indicator/J Bar is for.   Something has to go really really wrong for all three of the gear not to deploy.   They are all connected.

[HRM]

Ahhhh...Grasshopper. Welcome to the world of certified aircraft.

 

...and yes, the position of the Johnson is the best indicator of a proper erection. The light helps too.

[Warren Fors]

A sharp tug is right, EVERY TIME you extend the gear. The gear down LOCK is literally in your hand. (The green/red light is just an "indication",  and the microswitch is right above your fingers at that point.) Mooney service information (1994) is that the light should turn to green 1/8" BEFORE fully seating the Jbar and snap lock. SO, IT IS POSSIBLE that your light will change before actual lock, so it may be on, and still, the gear J-bar may not be truly latched and pop back out of the hole when your nose gear takes pressure. Disaster. A partner demonstrated that clearly and now we no longer have that beautiful aircraft.All are Sad..Sniff!!

[Tcraft938]

Thank you for the comments everyone.  Please understand, while new to the 20C, I am by no way admonishing the J-bar system.  Still a little awkward with it but I like feeling what's going on.  Maybe it's just in my mind, no pun intended, but it's comforting to feel like you're linked to the process, rather than flipping a switch and holding your breath.  I'm also someone that figures "its going to happen to me first" so I was just intrigued by the simply wire and as a backup.  However if flying an instrument approach, swinging ones head side to side to look out windows would not be a good thing regardless if have manual or electric gear.  My checkout was with an experienced CFI, Air Force test pilot and long time vintage Mooney driver.  His phrase was watch what you do, trust what you feel confirm with the light, or really just use the light more as a reminder you should have done the other two".  My initial checkout with a different instructor was simply give the bar a tug aft on base to confirm it doesn't pop out.  The better (more experienced) instructor taught me about the pulling the collar straight down without pushing the release button with thumb was a more confirming and indicative check.  I'm sure there are opinions for and against.  Personally I think the weakest part in the J-Bar chain is a complacent or inattentive brain.  I will work hard to leave that failed part on the ground.    

[HRM]

2 minutes ago, Tcraft938 said:

Still a little awkward with it...

Embrace the 'Mooney Nod'. After mastering it, you will never again look at a Mooney with electric gear with anything but pity.

Also, as you are lowering speed for landing, know that the gear can act like a speed brake. Unless you are in a downward death spiral from altitude, the Mooney will not exceed 120 with the gear down, so at about 125 or so, release the bar from the floor and enjoy the effect of a manual speed brake, when you hit 120, lock it in place and you'll never have the dreaded GU.

On the opposite side, if your Mooney seem sluggish on climb and you just can't seem to get past 120, guess what? Let he amongst us who has never experienced this cast the first stone.

[Tcraft938]

HRM good point.  I have the 100mph flap extend speed and that can be ungodly low to get to so need the gear at 120 to help.  I'm curious what the change was to a the few years later models where flap speed increased to 120.  The 100 can be a teasing number on the airspeed indicator.  

[steingar]

Thankfully I've only ever needed the Mooney dip on go around.  Also, if you're having any trouble at all getting it down, have your favorite mechanic lube up the system.  I had a devil of a time, and it turns out its just because my gear was a bit stiff.  Once the bar and its holders were lubricated the bar because easy as could be.

[Hank]

43 minutes ago, Tcraft938 said:

HRM good point.  I have the 100mph flap extend speed and that can be ungodly low to get to so need the gear at 120 to help.  I'm curious what the change was to a the few years later models where flap speed increased to 120.  The 100 can be a teasing number on the airspeed indicator.  

It's my understanding that the flap mounting system was redone; my electric flaps with 125 mph speed are mounted to the rear sub-spar. Gear speed remains 120 mph.

[0TreeLemur]

5 hours ago, gsxrpilot said:

A sharp tug on the J-bar is the best gear indicator there is. 

Mooney was thinking way ahead of you... and certainly Univair.

Paul, for the unwashed masses, who or what is/was Univair?   Thx.

[47U]

“Geez you'd think I wanted to bolt a big mirror on it.  :-)   So of course at annual I'm going to have to come up with something else I want to do, just to get him going.  Any suggestions?  Maybe review mirrors or turn signals? “

Lay out some blue painter’s tape on the top wing skin right above the wheel well and draw a 2” round circle on it with a sharpie.  Hand your IA the lens out of a D-cell flashlight and tell him you’d like to install a “gear inspection window.”

Then maybe volunteer to clean the wheel bearings for him to get back in good graces.

Tom

 

[gsxrpilot]

2 hours ago, Fred₂O said:

Paul, for the unwashed masses, who or what is/was Univair?   Thx.

The manufacturer of the Globe Swift.

[gsxrpilot]

6 hours ago, Tcraft938 said:

Maybe it's just in my mind, no pun intended, but it's comforting to feel like you're linked to the process, rather than flipping a switch and holding your breath.

Yes, exactly. Once you master that J-bar you'll not want anything else. It's the one thing I wish my M20K had from the C I used to own.

[mike_elliott]

15 hours ago, gsxrpilot said:

Yes, exactly. Once you master that J-bar you'll not want anything else. It's the one thing I wish my M20K had from the C I used to own.

I have mastered it, but still prefer the newer electric gear, Paul.

/flame on

 

[DonMuncy]

I have flown with both the electric and the J bar. If I bought a plane with ether one, I would be happy with it. Theoretically, I like the simplicity of the J bar, but the electrics are so good, it is mostly a moot point.

The first time I have a failure in my electric gear, you might hear a different tune. 

[HRM]

7 hours ago, DonMuncy said:

The first time I have a failure in my electric gear, you might hear a different tune. 

The infamous Plessey back-spring?

[carusoam]

Some of the coolest birds drop in to MS...

-a-