Gear won't go up

[Paul Ripplinger]

My landing gear won't go up, the last time I flew it it didn't come down right away, after a couple clunks it did. It never popped any breakers. Please help before I go on a search and destroy my checkbook mission with local mechanic.

[Kristin Winter]

If your local mechanic not landing gear savvy, it will likely be expensive and fruitless. Actually, I shudder to think what the gear probably looks like. I will try to help.

Where are you located, just in case we can connect you with someone who knows the gear system on a Comanche. Do you have a service manual? It has troubleshooting steps. There is one on the ICS website for downloading.

The first thing, of course, is to get the plane up on jacks. Open the panel covering the landing gear transmission. Then try raising the landing gear. Watch to see if the transmission brake retracts. If not, the transmission is fighting the brake, and that could be the problem. If the gear runs up and down, put your hand on the transmission motor and see if it is warm. If so, it probably is burning up an armature. The landing gear solenoid, the wiring to the transmission and the down limit switches and wiring is all suspect. Then there is the possibility of bad conduits, frozen bolt or bushing, etc. I really hope you are near enough to get some help from a knowledgeable Comanche gear mechanic.

[N3322G]

I would suggest taking it to Heritage Aero in Rockford IL - see your latest Comanche Flyer for their ad or the Home screen on this website.
http://www.heritageaero.com/
ask for Cliff, the owner - tell him Kristin and Pat sent you.

[Charles Schefer]

[Don Nelson]

Welcome to ICS, Paul.
As you'll learn - we're here for you.

Example - Heritage Aero, Rockford IL, an excellent suggestion, and really as close as you could hope for from ND.

Fly there with the gear down, under 150 MPH, my suggestion.
Otherwise at least thoroughly familiarize yourself with the emergency gear extension procedure, such as we teach in the CFF Comanche Pilot Proficiency Program, (CPPP).

All the best,
Don Nelson

[steen]

Paul,
So what happened? What did you find?
Steen

[Paul Ripplinger]

Problem solved, gear solenoid.