On Feb 5, 8:08*pm, Darryl Ramm wrote:
Marc has it well covered. Some extra comments form a previous DG-303 owner...

Your glider should have had the U/C handle mod per TN 359/22. Its a coil spring installed at the handle that helps hold the handle against the side wall. Its very simple to install. When I was shopping for a DG-300/303 years go it was surprising how many 300/303 had not had this mod done, including on gliders that had gear collapses and had been repaired and owners were still unaware of the mod (how can somebody sign off an annual/condition inspection without reviewing all the possible A/D and at least noting this?).

The gear handle "positive" detent lock is a poor design of a small rubber block with a metal shim/cover over it with a locking dimple on it. The rubber block seems to harden/shrink as it ages and becomes less effective. So that rubber block is also something to check at each annual and maybe replace.

There has been past discussion on r.a.s. about checking the U/C locking gas strut, but I could not quickly find the ones I was thinking of that had much detail. *Your A&P should have been checking this at each annual. Beyond pilots just forgetting to put the gear down I suspect problems with this gas strut *are the number one cause of failures in these now aging gliders, and more important than the points above (but yes do those as well).

Darryl

I have the mod in my 303, and also swapped in a new U/C gas strut, but
still managed to almost have a gear-up when I got distracted during a
landing, got sloppy about putting the gear down and just sort of
shoved it into the slot without making sure it was fully home.
Generally after the gear is down by habit I put my hand on the gear
handle and make sure it is in contact with the fuselage. What saved
me was the gear warning buzzer, because even with the spring pushing
the handle closed it had not fully engaged.