02-02-2013 Ask Mike! Question
Intermittent Flap Lever

Mike,

I hope this is an easy one for both of us.  My flap lever has been operating intermittently for the last few times and now nothing happens at all and the flaps are now stuck in the up position.  My question now is how do we get the flaps down for any repair?  The plane in question is a V35.  It just hit me that if we can't lower the flaps, how do we get in there to fix anything?  This just happened this morning and I know the question is going to come up Monday when I see the mechanic.  No modifications were done that you mentioned except for a completely new panel installed last year.

This only happened one other time that I remember.  When I delivered the plane for the panel work, I neglected to retract the flaps after landing.  A few days later I returned in another plane to go over some questions they had before actually doing any work.  It was at that time they said that they had tried to retract the flaps and nothing happened.  I got into the plane, turned on the power, flipped the flap switch to the up position, and the flaps went up.

And that was the end of that, until just recently.

Thanks,
Rick

Rick,

My first suggestion is to examine the wire connections on the circuit breaker and the switch.  Next, shoot some moisture displacer into the front of the flap switch on the aircraft, and cycle the switch a few times.  If that works, you know it is the switch.  If it does not, and access must be made to the switches in the wing, you can partially lower the flaps by hot-wiring the motor (green wire / C5A12).  This is removing the limit switch from the circuit, so be cautious about going too far.  If flaps are immovable this way, likely a motor problem.

Mike

Thanks Mike,

It was definitely the motor.  Original motor, removed for overhaul.  Not an easy job!

Rick