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Little details (Parking brake)

RVBottomly

PATRON
Asotin County Washington (KLWS)
In my occasional free time I'm learning the ways of my side-airplane: the Commonwealth SkyRanger 185 (with a C-90, I might add).

It is sort of a challenge with its big tail and small rudder, and wings that want to fly. And maybe a bit of toe-in to make ground handling a minor thrill.

But I've been getting a feel for her and enjoy the spacious cabin. It reminds me of the first car I owned: a 1938 Buick Special.

But little things have a way of waking you up.

The other day I was landing on pavement when the "variable 5-7 knots" shifted from straight down the runway to direct crosswind. Caught me by surprise a foot above the runway.

I heard the left main starting to squeal, shifted aileron to the right and full left rudder as I was settling down. Not helping! Not a ground loop! Left brake!

And it all settled down and we came to a sedate stop.

But when I wanted to proceed she didn't want to move. "What? Did I break something?" Then I tapped the brakes and "click", we rolled fine.

After parking I took a look: if you apply full left rudder and left brake, the parking brake spring has just enough tension to set. Easy enough fix. I'm just glad I discovered it on a light and variable day instead of during some wind rodeo.
 
I know someone who did the same thing in an Ag Cat after doing some light aerobatics. Old timer told him they always carried a long screw driver to be sure the parking brake tabs were down.
 
..... if you apply full left rudder and left brake, the parking brake spring has just enough tension to set. Easy enough fix. I'm just glad I discovered it on a light and variable day instead of during some wind rodeo.

I understand there's been a lot of cases of the stock parking brake on Cessnas "self-applying".
That's why most of them have been rendered inoperative.
it'd be nice to have a parking brake, but not worth the risk.
 
Yep. And Cub brakes as well, and Stinsons - usually folks just come to me for brake bleeding, and I safety wire that little lever forward. Steers better that way. On the Clevelands, apparently that little lever that locks the piston rod can rattle into a locked position. You do not want that to happen.
 
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Maybe I'm a bit new to this whole thing but I've always found a parking brake to be a fantastic feature and fairly safe to have on the plane. The Scott 4200's release by simply pressing the brakes so just press the brakes in the air real quick before landing. Having them makes hand propping safer and helps greatly in moving the plane around on uneven surfaces or uphill.
 
Wouldn’t be without at least one side when not running a starter. A lot of guys are on the brakes a little on landing anyway solving that locked parking brake problem. On bush wheels, it’s usually a problem of wanting more brake.
 
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Maybe I'm a bit new to this whole thing but I've always found a parking brake to be a fantastic feature and fairly safe to have on the plane. The Scott 4200's release by simply pressing the brakes so just press the brakes in the air real quick before landing. Having them makes hand propping safer and helps greatly in moving the plane around on uneven surfaces or uphill.

I like having them. Just not the surprise at them setting themselves while in use.

Mine operate from a pull cable attached to springs going to the cylinder. Moving the link on the chain down one link solved the problem--just have to pull the cable knob out a little more to set them.
 
Maybe I'm a bit new to this whole thing but I've always found a parking brake to be a fantastic feature and fairly safe to have on the plane. The Scott 4200's release by simply pressing the brakes so just press the brakes in the air real quick before landing. Having them makes hand propping safer and helps greatly in moving the plane around on uneven surfaces or uphill.

Your comments are spot on. Unless you are Gumby or have added some creative activation scheme to the parking brake lever there is no way to apply that parking brake while you are flying.

Jerry
 
All it takes is to try to land one time with a parking brake on to become very aware of how very serious an issue this is. It happened to me in my SuperCub very soon after I bought it. I think that a water bottle on the floor rolled into the parking brake lever in flight and set it to "on". All it takes is light pressure. A passenger in the back seat could also set one or both brakes inadvertently with anything that could snag the under-seat parking brake ring.

I made some clips to go around the parking brake pistons that prevent the brakes from being set without deliberately removing the clips. That way I don't have to worry about remembering to tap my brakes before landing.
 
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