Username Protected wrote:
Quote:
The Piper Arrow (PA28), Saratoga and Lance (PA32) and Senecas (PA34) is among the simplest and robust retractable landing gear systems.
I totally disagree, particularly for the Seneca PA-34.
It is a very well known fact that the Piper retract MG trunions were totally under-built, consequently there is a very high incidence of MG failures after hard landings.
The trunions were beefed-up at least a half dozen times over the years, maybe the latest iterations are considered "robust" but the earlier ones certainly were NOT !
The PA34 MLG trunions were updated. The early ones, prone to cracking, are subject to a 25hr (yes, 25 hours). Weirdly enough, the 1975 Seneca II that I owned, came to me with one of the good trunions and one of the stupid ones. No record of 25 hour inspections either(!!!). I had it replaced immediately of course (pre-purchase check - actually, I spotted it even before the mechanic got there). Weirdly enough, the trunion wasn't very expensive and readily available. The trunion issue was resolved many years ago. Any reasonable operator should have done them long, long ago.
The nose gear SB and AD are somewhat troublesome the first time. You have to make sure the rivets haven't pulled out of the structure under the panel and center console. The rest is easy and the only life limited part afterward is a drag-link bolt. I had the tiller track replaced and the nose trunion replaced - due to someone prior tugging it without paying attention to the turn limits. The stops were broken and the tiller trick showed signs of abuse.
I have however, seen many with the MLG and nose gear assembled incorrectly!!!!! There's pictures in the service manual and everything.
The updates and service history of the gear should be a pre-purchase inspection item, of course. The incident reports don't show much in the way of gear failure. When I researched it years ago, there was a fairly significant number of nose gear collapses on rollout or taxi - due to non-compliance with the AD and SB that cover it.
Other than a downlock switch, and an actuator o-ring, I had no issues with the gear in 10 years of flying the PA34. It really never caused any issues. Just did the maintenance by the book and it was good and really spent no money on them at all other than correcting everything right after purchase.