Between two club owned and one privately owned DG1000
gliders at our site, we have so far averaged about
1 undercarriage retraction on landing approximately
every 200 flights. Probably all of these were failures
to lock the U/C down properly, for the reasons stated
previously. The only good news is that a reasonable
landing on smooth grass doesn't seem to cause much
damage beyond ripping off the odd undercarriage door.


Getting a big group of people together to lift a stranded
DG1000 off the ground after an U/C collapse, so that
the wheel can be lowered, has almost become a routine
occurrence at our club!

Sometimes the U/C locks down quite easily, but on other
occasions it’s like pushing against a brick wall! I
thought that it might be related to airspeed, as you
have to push the wheel forward into the slipstream,
but on the last occasion I had difficulties slowing
down to the stall made no difference.

BTW I flew the DG1000 prototype demonstrator on a number
of occasions and didn't find any problems operating
the undercarriage, so it is something that has crept
in on production models. Neither have I had any problems
operating DG500 (3-wheeler) or DG300 undercarriages.

Derek Copeland

At 04:54 22 April 2007, Jim Hultman wrote:
Happened to me in a 505, & I'm a long-armed gear slammer.
Jim
'Shawn' wrote in message
...
Derek Copeland wrote:
Our club in the UK has two DG1000s with the two wheel
tail dragger configuration. We have had numerous
undercarriage
collapses on landing, but as far as I know no unwanted
extentions in flight.

The problem seems to be that a great deal of force
is required to get the gear over-centre and that
the
lever in the front cockpit has a very long throw.
People
with short arms, or who are not very strong have
a
real problem getting the wheel to lock down. I personally
find the U/C reasonably OK to operate from the rear
cockpit, but very difficult from the front. And yes
I have had the U/C retract on landing, which was
very
embarassing.

The whole thing seems to be very poor from an ergonomic
point of view.

Anyone seen this problem in the 505?

Thanks,
Shawn