Any Baron pilots out there?

[Cav]

I'm looking for a simple explanation of the E55's or other Baron model gear system (I assume most Baron's have the same gear), emergency hand crank, and information about the heater. Unfortunately I don't have access to a POH. Thanks!

[carlos]

Not sure exactly what you want to know. I fly a baron 58. Its gear is all electric. Emergency extension is done with a crank that is between and behind the two front seats. Pull the gear motor circuit breaker, extend the handle and crank until you get three green (the green lights are on a separate circuit from the gear motor).

For heat, there's a combustion heater in the nose that runs on fuel from the tanks.

[Cav]

When you say that it is all electric do you mean that there is no hydraulic actuator? Could you go into a little more detail? To your knowledge do all baron models have a similar system. Thanks!

[carlos]

Correct, there are no hydraulics involved. I believe that all the Baron models had similar gear systems, but I wouldn't go to a checkride with that assurance. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Alchemy]

I flew a 1963 A55 Baron and it had all electric gear also. I'm pretty sure all the bonanzas and barons work this way. The simplest way to describe it is just that it uses an electric motor with limit switches to extend and retract the gear. I believe the gear used a 50 amp circuit breaker. There is a gear up light, a gear down light, and an indicator on the floor of the cockpit for the nosegear. There is also a squat switch and a gear warning horn which will go off if either throttle is reduced below 12" MP or the flaps are extended beyond 10 degrees.

On the A55 the hand crank is located on the floor behind the right pilot's seat. You must unstow the handle and turn it about 45-50 turns clockwise to extend the gear, I believe.

This is all from memory so some of it is probably wrong.

[ricecakecm]

I fly a 58 on a pretty regular basis, and the gear is basicly actuated by what look like bicycle chains. Same with a lot of King Airs (or at least the one I fly).

Chris

[raysalmon]

On all Barons, an electric motor drives a gearbox which raises and lowers the gear. Nothing hydraulic about it. Gear is held up by uplocks.

If an emergency extension is required, POH says to pull gear motor circuit breaker, put landing gear handle in down position, engage the crank (behind the front seats, on the floor) and wind approximately 50 times. When 3 greens come on, stop cranking (do not wind it tight, you could damage the gearbox) If 3 greens do not come on, continue cranking until tight.

Make sure you stow the handle prior to retracting normally after a practice extension or else you could cause damage.

As for the heater, most Barons have a Janitrol combustion heater located in the the lower part of the nose cone.

Ray