For those, mostly 360 fliers who may have an interest in this thread, I have observed my gear retraction on test stand and find peculiar results. This problem of gear retraction onto the closed gear door was in reference to the nose gear.  On test stand, the nose gear moved intermittently and traded sequence/progress with the mains in moving to the all-closed position.  During one retraction, the nose gear jumped into the wheel well quite rapidly and then free-fell to a position perpendicular to the plane; it retracted fully and then fell again - but, not before it hit the sequence valve permitting the nose gear door to partially close so that the gear subsequently retracted into the door.  Numerous retracts were normal and just one was faulty - but, of course, it takes just one in-flight incident to ruin the day.

 

I know how to stop this jerking motion of the gear into the door.  (For redundancy purposes, I have always used two gas springs for the nose gear extension - one was in need of replacement.  When using two strong gas springs, the nose gear extends with real authority and remains rigidly extended until the mains are completely tucked away, when, as pressure mounts, the nose gear rapidly retracts and and the gear door closes behind it.)  What I don't know is why the change?  Why was the nose gear excessively halting/jerking in its travel to retraction?   Why was one good/strong gas spring not adequate to prevent the halting/jerking? 

 

I suspect this fault mode may become a problem for other builder/fliers of the 360.

 

Greg Nelson