Originally Posted by
megan
First I've heard of a nose wheel type having a locking system, S-76 doesn't, explanation please as to why the difference?
The 76 has a damper so you can run it on at 60 knots and you'll not get a potentially damaging shimmy wobble. Fast run on landings in the 169 and 139 require the nose wheel locked. There is an electronic locking pin which secures the nose wheel in place. On touch down, you'll need to hit the unlock button on the gear panel to release the locking pin to taxi. Attempting to steer with high torque settings and the nose wheel locked can cause damage to the whole nose gear locking pin installation. The whole nose wheel assembly is a weak point on these machines, especially for towing. 76 undercarriage is bullet proof. The Augusta systems are far more delicate.