Piper Seminole (PA-44) Landing Gear System

[Leave 5 on the glide]

Hi All,

I don't have my Seminole POH to hand, and have a quick question about the landing gear system: what holds the gear in the retracted position?

It's been some time since I've flown it, so it has escaped me!

Thanks very much in advance,

l5otg

[Tui Hat Wearing Son]

Hydraulic pressure if i remember correctly! With a dodgy system in turbulence you can sometimes see the gear lights flashing slightly as the hydraulic systems struggles to keep the gear up.

Might be wrong though. it has been known

[Leave 5 on the glide]

Tui Hat Wearing Son - thanks very much for the reply.

I thought as much, that it's positive HYD pressure that keeps it up. I have a sneaky suspicion that the gravity extension handle effectively "pulls the plug" on the hydraulic pressure and releases it, dropping the gear. Makes sense I would of thought.

I think that hooks are only used for downlock to keep the gear extended.

Although, I'm in the same boat as you, I have been known to be wrong before!

Regards,

l5otg

[727gm]

Hydraulic Pressure... When gear actuator hydraulic seals, etc. get old, you'll see the red Unsafe light momentarily, and if you're looking at the ammeter, the amps jump up as the hydraulic motor runs, the pressure forces the gear up against the up-switch, thereby shutting off the pump; amp load drops, and then after a while, it happens again. Eventually maintenance gets around to fixing things when the time is ripe.