Globe with the words Around the Pattern cured around the top half.

Ramblings about flying for fun and profit

landing gear

  • Aviation History – Chapter 2.5 – Lockheed C-5 Landing Gear

    I’ve been doing research for the next post on air refueling, which should be up in a couple of days. In the process I found these two videos which  show the operation of the Lockheed C-5 landing gear.  I tried to describe the operation in words in my last post covering some of the unique…

  • Globe Swift Landing Gear Rebuild – Actuator

    In the last post we talked about replacing the seals in the Globe Swift landing gear downlock. This post will cover some of the steps in replacing the seals in the landing gear actuator. As mentioned in the last post, actuator seal kit S-147 was purchased from the Swift Association to complete this actuator rebuild.

  • Globe Swift Landing Gear Rebuild – Downlock

    The Manual The main landing gear downlock is the simplest of the hydraulic mechanisms on the Swift to rebuild, but it still is best accomplished with a copy of the Swift Hydraulic Manual. It may be purchased from the International Swift Association, Athens, TN.  In it are parts breakdowns and step-by-step instructions for the overhaul…

  • Back at work so I can get some rest.

    Time Off? I was at home for about a week and a half toward the end of June. During that time I went back to work rebuilding the landing gear on my Swift. I’ll make a few posts on that process in the next day or so. I even managed to take some pictures of…

  • Refurbishing an Airplane

    A little background is in order. I purchased this airplane, a Globe Swift, in late 2004 from an estate (funny, it seems longer than that….) . The owner had died suddenly a few years before. The plane and been sitting, unused in an open-air hangar since he passed away. I don’t believe it had been…