Cambridge 302 Gear/Airbrake Warning - How to Test?

On Sep 10, 7:18*pm, Dave Hoppe wrote:

Something is amiss. If you were entering the landing pattern with your
gear up and you open your spoilers, you definitely should not have to
power cycle the 302 to get the alarm. That would kind of defeat the
purpose. My 302 is 6 years old, however it had the latest firmware
installed this last winter.

Dave - The power cycle testing I refer to is perform on the ground
during/after assembly...not in the air during the landing cycle.

Thanks.

On Sep 9, 5:23*pm, ContestID67 wrote:
I was informed (and verified) that there is a way to easily test the
302 warning system while on the ground.

- Power down the 302
- Unlock the airbrakes with the gear unlocked/up
- Power up the 302

The alarm will then sound (euro siren) after the self test is
complete. *A large upwards pointing arrow will appear in the display,
different than the small speed up/down arrows, meaning I suppose that
your gear is up. *You can silence the alarm by pushing the button.

Yet another undocumented feature/sound from the Cambridge 302!

- John


The power up alarm sounds with brakes unlocked with the gear DOWN and
locked.

After power up test execution the gear warning is as expected - the
gear alarm only sounds if the brakes are unlocked and the gear is not
down locked.

The alarm may also sound on power up with the brakes unlocked and the
gear not down and locked but I can't be sure of that as my assembly
routine has gear down and glider pushed back from trailer before the
batteries are fitted.

Andy

What about the guys who routinely, and with knowledge, begin takeoff with
their spoliers partially opened. I do that when I'm flying the rented LS-4
as it feels to me like it improves aileron control early in the takeoff
roll. I close and lock the spoilers as soon as control is assured. In my
Mosquito, I begin takeoff roll with flaps full negative as I did in my
previous LS-6. Would you deny me a hookup even after I announced to you
that my spoilers are open and why?

I'm talking about the (apparently) sleeping pilots who, at 200 feet fail to
notice that the spoilers have just popped open without command. I've read
of the tow pilot taking that glider pilot to safe altitude, releasing him
within good landing position, and then watching him fail to reach the
airport because he never recognized the problem. And, please, let's not
start another radio discussion.


"Martin Gregorie" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 09 Sep 2011 09:00:53 -0600, Dan Marotta wrote:

If your spoilers "suck open" and you don't recognize it, you shouldn't
be flying.

Maybe other outfits should adopt my club's new-for-2011 change in launch
procedu the cable is NOT put on unless the pilot announces "Brakes
locked" before asking for 'cable on'.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |

On 9/9/11 3:56 PM, Martin Gregorie wrote:
the cable is NOT put on unless the pilot announces "Brakes
locked" before asking for 'cable on'.

And if the pilot uses spoilers to get better aileron control at the
start of the takeoff?

Or the wheel brake is on the spoilers and the pilot wants to prevent a
rope overrun?

-Tom

On Sat, 10 Sep 2011 19:39:46 -0700, Tom Serkowski wrote:

On 9/9/11 3:56 PM, Martin Gregorie wrote:
the cable is NOT put on unless the pilot announces "Brakes locked"
before asking for 'cable on'.

And if the pilot uses spoilers to get better aileron control at the
start of the takeoff?

Doing standard UK CBSIFTCBE preflight checks, accepting the cable before
opening the brakes and keeping a hand on the brake lever allows the pilot
to accept the cable with brakes locked, so the confirmation can be made
correctly.

Of course, if you are flying somewhere that doesn't teach a preflight
check which includes opening, visually checking, and then locking the
brakes, doesn't include the checks in every flight under instruction and
which tolerates launches for pilots who skip the preflight check then you
should expect launches with unlocked brakes as well as any consequent
crashes.

Or the wheel brake is on the spoilers and the pilot wants to prevent a
rope overrun?

Totally unlikely on our field, which is, if anything, always slightly
uphill since it has a small hump (on a winch launch the wing runner can
see the winch flashing but the pilot usually can't).

I've only flown on one field where that was necessary, the Wasserkuppe,
and again that's a bit special since you take off downwind and downhill
on a hard runway which is steep enough to require a small wooden wedge in
front of the main wheel to stop the glider running forward while the pilot
(s) get in.

In any case in the UK and other places where the CBSIFTCBE preflight
check is taught the pilot will have cycled the brakes AND DONE A VISUAL
CHECK before unlocking and opening them if the glider needs that for a
successful launch, so the announcement "Brakes locked: cable on, please"
should be redundant.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |