REFLECTOR: On focus

[Darrell & Nora Kufalk]

Terry,

 

You are living my nightmare.  Always one of my greatest fears of flying is
doing exactly what you did.  So when I built my own airplane I vowed to do
something about it.  I installed a Gear Alert system from Aircraft
Components Inc.  It is a ground proximity sensor with (more importantly) a
voice enunciator.  If you forget to throw the switch, you will hear a loud
(female) voice in your headset saying CHECK GEAR POSITION!  CHECK GEAR
POSITION!  CHECK GEAR POSITION!  It triggers at 300 to 400 feet off the
ground.  Plenty of time to do a go-around.

 

I've flown and tested this thing on my XLRG.  It works !

 

I've attached a few pictures of my installation.

 

First item at the top.   http://www.flyingsafer.com/Products.htm

 

You can also get them through Aircraft Spruce.
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/avpages/gearalert.php

 

 

Darrell

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Terry Miles
Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2008 7:25 AM
To: 'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list'
Subject: REFLECTOR: On focus

 

Dear All,

 

I have some disappointing news to pass along.  After a good ride around the
local area yesterday, I made a nice VFR approach, everything looked fine
until the rollout.or should I say the slide out.

 

When I first entered pilot school back I the 60's they cautioned us over and
over to think of it that ALL PILOTS fall into two groups regards ever
forgetting the gear.  The groups are:    "Them what have" and  "Them what
will."  

 

With no small amount of chagrin and disbelief I have now moved from the
latter to the former.  I just forgot.  Simple and at the same time as
unbelieveable as that is, it is what happened.  Yes I have the piezo (sp?)
horn hooked up to the idle stop on the throttle.  

 

The prop was an ACI and it shreaded.  I was at idle so I am hoping the
engine crank survived the sudden stop.  Inspections will tell on that.
Lycoming IO-540 300 hp.   Damage to the hull is limited to the belly.  At
the worst I am into the foam core on the belly.   The wings are fine.  The
lower winglets are damaged; one a little more worse than the other.  

 

She is back in the hangar.  For the archives, the fire department came out
with inflatable/deflatable air bags about 2 feet on a side.  Using these
bags and 4x4 posts and plywood and wedges and after two iterations of this,
we were able to raise the aft end enough to come around and with 3 guys
raised the nose by hand sufficiently to get the nose gear locked down.  Then
with a forklife lifting at the prop hub, we lifted the last foot or so
needed in the rear to get the mains overcenter.    

 

I am fine.  Heartsick, but fine.  

 

Terry

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