REFLECTOR: Gear annunicators - Poll

[Bob Jackson (Jax Tech)]

I like seeing three GREEN lights (one for each leg, laid out in a triangle
like the gear itself) as part of my Landing Checklist ("Three in the
Green"), a single RED light that indicates "Gear Unsafe" (either not all the
way down, or not all the way up), and a YELLOW light indicating that the
pump is running.  No lights are on once the gear are safely up.

 

I know the main gear are physically tied together, so if one is down and
locked, the other will be also.  However, I still think it's important to
use two GREEN lights for the main gear down and locked and a third GREEN
light for the nose gear.  Putting the three GREEN lights in a triangular
physical pattern also makes it a more meaningful and visual part of the
Landing Checklist.

 

Of course, we designed and built our own complete electrical system,
including the Gear Control subpanel, so it was easy for us to define and
layout the lights any way we wanted.

 

Not getting the gear properly down for landing is one of the most important
procedural items in a retractable gear airplane, so I think making the
annunciator design as communicative as possible is worth a little extra
effort.  Sorry the picture quality is not very good -- but hopefully, you
get the idea...

 

Bob Jackson

Velocity XL/RG/XC

N2XF

 

  _____  

From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Don Johnston
Sent: Saturday, June 08, 2013 4:50 PM
To: reflector at tvbf.org
Subject: REFLECTOR: Gear annunicators - Poll

 

I'm working on designing my annunicator panel and I'm stuck on the gear
indicators. I've got the "Gear Down" part, but I can't decide about the...
not down part. 

Other planes I've flown have had different approaches.  Such as in addition
to the "Gear Down", they would also have a "Gear Up". 

Some have "Gear Down", "Gear Up" and "Gear In Transit" (AKA "Gear Unsafe").


While others have "Gear Down" and "Gear In Transit". The absence of either
being an implicit gear up. I see the advantage of this method being that in
flight with no problems, there are no indicators on. 

Just wondering what others think about gear lights.

-Don Johnston



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