Because it's a twin and especially because it's a C-310, the annual is so involved and expensive. I've heard that an annual for a C-310 could make your wallet lighter by about 5000 dollars and that was in late 90s when I heard that. I used to own a 1964 PA28-140 which would cost me about 500 - 700 dollars per annual if no expensive repairs were required.
@@Тольяттинец-н6ъ Likewise I couldn't help thinking about what this stuff costs. And just imagine when a radio breaks! Yikes. As beautiful as a 310 is, this is unfortunately why I am flying X-Plane on a sim. I don't think I could ever get partners to make this affordable.
This brought back memories, Juan. When I was a kid growing up in Long Beach my Dad's best buddy had a 182, I got my first ride in that airplane. My father helped this fellow build a Starduster Too, and I was a kid who hung out at the hanger and airport, soaking up all I could about planes. Another guy Dad knew,, a few hangers away, had a 310. I don't think it was as early as Harvey, but it could have been. Anyway they were doing an annual on it and I wandered down there to watch them do the exact thing you just documented. The owner of that plane, whom I later flew with, was a stickler on things being "right", with his airplane. He told me one afternoon that "annuals are expensive, but they are cheap compared to a bent airplane or worse, so they are worth it." I got offers of flights by other pilots, but my Dad would only let me fly with his friend and the 310 owner. As a father myself, I get it. Great memories. Thank you.
I'll add this a year late! Did my first annual on my new-to-me C320F in January. I chose to do it owner-assisted to learn the systems. We spent 1.5 days for the gear rigging. Fascinating system. My A&P/IA (Chris Hamilton, owner of Tri Valley Aviation at KLVK - who grew up in the business working on twin Cessna's) commented that these gear systems are "like a sewing machine". So true! I was very happy to see him pull out his old tool box with the tension tool, spring scales, and "Rig it Right" instruction guide. He hadn't done one in a few years, but once he picked up speed, he clearly knew it cold. Big respect for the folks who know how to do this intricate procedure the right way!
There is nothing. Nothing more wonderful to read than the old manuals. You are right about that one. I could read those old manuals, cars, airplanes, trucks, for hours. Great Video!
Nancy I use to have full volume 1830/2800PW manuals when I fooled with DC3's and F4u's. The PW Manuals Info was clear and illustrations Beautiful. Back when we had.....whats it called... oh yea... A Book.
I have shelves full of manuals from each airplane I flew. Now they sit forlornly unused. I sure as hell can't bring myself to throw any of them away. Beech 1900, Convair 340, ATR42, 727, 737, A300. When I have departed, my kids will probably trash them...
@@paulwilson8367 ohhhh, what a treasure ! Do you think you could scan them and publish them on GitHub or something similar ? Especially flight sim aircraft model developers would be so thankful for that ! :)
*Juan:* "This is a very big part of the 310 annual." *Me:* "A burrito?" *Juan:* "The swinging of the landing gear." *Me:* "Ahhhhh." Seriously, though. Loving these videos. Thanks for sharing them.
Very good video. I've been an A&P/IA for 40 years and it is rare to find a technician that is as thorough and has the understanding of the Cessna 300/ 400 series electro mechanical gear as your IA! Good job!
If, and I really mean "IF" you find a good, reliable, intelligent, due diligence, realistic, in-the-now, relatable, ethical Mechanic, HANG ON TO THEM!!!!!!!
Canadian AME for 40 years plus. It is heartwarming to see qualified technicians who follow the certified manuals. When I see the 401 rebuild using hammers and screwdrivers to change tires, my stomach churns in anger. Thank you for giving the aircraft maintenance industry the respect it deserves in such a technical and precise environment where knownledge and safety are honoured. Thanks Juan.
I'm not a mechanic but I've been watching that with a bit of trepidation. It seems that it is more for youtube views than anything else, but it is nice to see an abandoned plane getting some love.
Thank God there are people like you that have the commitment to keep these works of art flying. I can't imagine a world without there presence. Again Juan, thanks for your abilities and desire to keep them in the air.
You are a treasure for all of us to enjoy!! The exacting details of a mechanical system is quite unique and amazing to see! A little like a mechanical Swiss watch movement compared to a quartz. Clearly hydraulic systems are much more robust and simple to work on. 1959 was my sister's birth year. It warms my heart to see the love and dedication required to maintain this is good working condition! 👏💖 ERAU 80 CFIA&I ret.
I noticed the steps retract with the wheels going up. Neat video and genuine engineering. Somebody smarter than I figured out something that you depend on every time you want to land safely.
I worked as an AME in Canada from 1986 to 1992. My shop did this inspection on the 310/340 series aircraft and from our research most Canadian and American shops where not doing this inspection. It was tedious and necessary. The poor apprentice would get stuck in the cabin pushing and pulling circuit breakers and checking the manual retraction handle per your video. We had one AME that specialized in the inspection and he was dope doing it. Had the process organized and I often wished I was shown how to do the entire process and be able to have his lever of competencty. I really liked the video and it brought back memories. The older C411 and C421s had a similar gear configuration but I only remember doing the inspection on 310s and 340s. We loved the newer C411 and C421 with the hydralic gear. So much easier to maintain except the first time we did a "blow down" test of the emergency gear system we did not expect the suddeness of the gear action and locking. The aircraft rocked on the jackpads we thought the aircraft was going to fall off them. They never did but we actually would get other techs, especially from our local avionics shot come over to watch the blow down test. GREAT VIDEO!
On one hand, that gear system seems a bit Rube Goldberg, but on the other, it's some impressive engineering. Still, like almost everything about aviation, it's fascinating and very cool to learn about.
I can’t seem to judge if it’s elegant or not. It may just be 12,000 engineering solutions added together in a temporary harmony. My basis for elegant engineering: a browning citori lightning over under shotgun mechanism
@@francisschweitzer8431 heck, you don't even need to go that far, just go to any Cessna single with retracts! Even more complicated than the 310, since you have to get them tuck into the rear fuselage!
There's nothing better for knowing your airplane than assisting with the annual! Now you know that landing gear system inside and out. I enjoyed the video very much!
You told the story of what happened to the 310-P I sold in 1995 to a "tee"; it ended up a flight school multi engine trainer and met it's demise on a training flight when the nose gear collapsed on landing. The airplane was scrapped and deregistered. I had to smile a little when listening to you describe the scenario.
Outstanding tutorial of a complicated inspection process. Great camera work in tight confines Juan. Look forward to future videos of this annual inspection.
Love how you provide “guidance” to Jimmy and his Save The 310 mission. Absolutely love his enthusiasm but I think Jimmy may as well be trying to build another Ark in his backyard. His 310 gives me nightmares…
As Jimmy would say “ what could possibly go wrong”? Lol. I too like his enthusiasm but his 310 is a bit of a cash cow. He shouldn’t have allow us the choice of him fixing it or scrapping it. He won’t do that again I think. lol.
@@Bywater-S based on his latest video, I think he's gone from "Save THE 310" to "Save A 310". :) Looks like he's going to use the original 310 as a parts bird after all.
@@stephenp448 wasn’t there 2 310’s he was looking at a video ago? But I did hear him say about using the current cash cow for parts. He liked the upgraded turbo prop 310. We’ll see how he does this time!!! Lol
This was really cool to watch. There's so much going on when you move the gear handle it's amazing. What's even more amazing to me is all those moving parts are still very reliable, but there's always an ingenious backup if it fails. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Juan, I almost bought a 310 a month ago after selling my Comanche. I ended up buying a Mooney instead and you are making my decision look really good. I knew 310 needed maintenance love, but the complexity of the gear is crazy.
"We'll see. Just like Spirit Airlines!" I like that. Spoken like guy who knows the industry well. Glad the gear passed inspection. I liked the sound the doors make when they close, very assuring.
Thank you for showing this annual check up. It's very cool to see a&p mechanics at work and all that they have to do to make a plane safe to fly. As for the cost I'm sure it's in the category of if you have to ask you can't afford it, like working on old Ferrari's everything is expensive. Great vid keep 'em coming.
Damn - there are links and rods just everywhere in that landing gear. Makes me wonder how long it took for the engineers to design it originally. And to then create the original set of documentation, complete with expected tolerances etc. A lot has happened with CAD systems since these were designed, and it really can't have been fun to try to take into account the mechanical tolerances of every single detail and the amount of adjustment from each adjustment point.
It was a different mindset at that time. The men who designed this type of equipment thought different than someone who relies on a CAD program to assist them with the answers. They didnt see this as overwhelming it was just the next thing to do. It may have taken the design team some time to get everything worked out but the end result is a plane that still works very well 62 years later. As far as specs I am sure even the new CAD designs are full of the same specs and tolerances. I am not an A&P mechanic and can assume than many of these tests are now done digitally, where sensors are relied upon to make sure everything is proper. It was just the way it was and not a task like we may see it today. I liken it to before you could drive it was nothing to walk two blocks to your freind's house, after getting a license to drive, it would be easy to get mad that you had to park one house over and walk 50 extra feet.
I just got home at 0700 after working all night (12 hours). My crew did a bunch of work on a B737-800 and we also replaced the F/O windshield. It was an extremely busy night! Here I am watching this video when I should be going to bed! I have done a bunch of gear rigging on C-210, but not the 310, I found it very interesting! I'm similar age to you and rebuilt my first C-140 in 1984. Thank you for your great, enjoyable content!
Great video. Really cool to see how the whole mechanism works. I actually had to use the hand crank to get the gear down on a 310B once. The nose gear door arms were not properly secured after MX and they jammed up with the nose gear. I had to use the hand crank to break it loose. Luckily there were two of us flying and it all worked out for us in the end.
Thanks for the video, never appreciated how much extra fiddly work goes into maintaining a retractable system, even in a light twin. Great attention to detail and communication from the mechanics
Juan. Great Video. Ive done owner assisted annuals on my lanes for 25 years alway a good time and I always learn something. Glad the Arrows gear is less complicated. Always enjoy your videos 👍👍
I watched a 310 land without the nose gear at our local airport back in the 70’s. They touched down on the mains and eased it over onto its nose before it got too slow and dropped.
Juan and his mechanics are doing a very thorough job. My boss at a 310 fleet I worked on could start from scratch and get everything in spec. A lot of shops don’t really know what they’re doing and just swing it on jacks, not adequate. I’m going to hear that gearbox in my sleep tonight
This is an amazing video, Juan! I had no idea how complex a light twin gear system could be. It's totally whiz bang stuff those Cessna design engineers came up with back in that post war period. It couldn't be done today at a rational enough cost to create a saleable airplane. There must have been a big surplus of those guys that learned their trade during the explosive growth of military airplane design and production during the war years. That's the only way you could find people to cheaply enough design and build a reasonably priced product like the 310. The buyers had to be reasonably well heeled enough to afford one, but for Cessna, they sold enough units along with the 172s and 182s to keep the lights on in Wichita! You've got a real creampuff there in Harvey. He's in good hands. Enjoy! First flight I had in a military airplane was in the Air Force version of the 310, the U-3A out of Paine Field in Everette when I was an AFROTC cadet at UW. It was a thrill to circle Husky Stadium during a game on Saturday afternoon in the Fall of '64. I thought I was pooping in tall cotton then!
Amazed at all the engineering and how they work together. I never knew that the smaller planes have all those parts. Really enjoyed watching this video. Makes me appreciate your jobs inspecting and flying them!
Been maintaining a fleet of 310R for the last 20 years. Good information. It's definitely a puzzle to rig from scratch or if you have to make any changes you always have to start from the beginning of the rigging instructions. Never works to start in the middle. Torque tubes are prone to cracking as well as the bell cranks for the inboard gear doors.
blancolirio, Love watching your videos!!! Always a delight to view, thank you for keeping such a great aircraft in continuous, airworthy operation, hope it passes annuals for decades to come!!!
It inspires confidence when a mechanic refers to a proper, actual, genuine printed paper manual instead of mucking about with a laptop, trying to find something online that may be accurate and fact-checked, but probably isn't.
I was a mechanic on Beechcraft Bonanzas and recall the sounds retracting of the mechanical landing gear sounding very similar to this Cessna 310, Thanks Juan & Crew!
Thank you so much for this fantastic video, I'm not qualified for aero stuff but I spent many years on the tools in vintage cars and classic motorcycles and I can completely appreciate how that system of rods and linkages can become a geometric nightmare if you have to disturb one and you then end up chasing your tail trying to figure out how your adjustments have affected the parts further down "the chain". Also, "we'll see..." spoken like a true pro 😆 she'll go far in the mechanical/engineering profession.
Dena vu! I'm going to have to go through this on my 310C again pretty soon, too. Glad to see you are using both jack points on the nose, I've seen some 310s messed up structurally from lazy people jacking the nose with only one jack and twisting the structure. I see you mentioned the nose gear idler bellcrank, the source of most nose gear problems in 310s. Harvey should be good to go for another year.
Memories... I in my early A&P years I maintained a C401B and Beech Bonanzas. Later years, Beech A 90s, B 100 A and B and the B 200. Thanks for the memories Juan!
What a good year of the aircraft. It's a 59 like me! I might have flown in one of these in 1967 from McAlester Oklahoma to Oklahoma city and back the next day.
I thoroughly enjoyed that video Juan. You can't beat a pile of gear swings as long as you have a good charger on the battery. A mechanical delight of pure precision!
Great as a pilot to be with their mechanic as they go through a check of their aircrafts systems like this. So much valuable information is learned on how they operate which could end up being invaluable up in the air.
Somebody is forgetting to stomp down on the brakes before retracting the gear judging from the scrub marks inside the main gear wells! Great refresher on the Cessna gear system.
Or the gear is not sitting on the uplocks after retracting and the wheels are rubbing against the structure. When the gear retracts it goes up and then slightly down when hanging on the up locks. This prevents the tires from rubbing in flight.
Great 310 gear resource Juan, much thanks! Also, at 24:00 on the swing, it looks like Harvey might be prone to a near catastrophic problem a friend experienced in a P-51('Never Miss' - N119H). I flew chase for about an hour until after some very high-G maneuvers and down pressure on the system the gear dislodged. What happened there, was a left-hand oleo seal had become a tad hard and dry, and rolled, which prevented the strut from extending fully. That caused the tire to bind on the inner gear well opening. It was surprising how little binding force was able to prevent the High-pressure hydraulic system from forcing the wheel past such a bind. Lesson learned, was that oleo condition can be an overlooked component often essential to proper gear operation. Hard to tell from the video but the clearance in Harvey's gear well appears it might be tight like on the P-51. I'll post a link to 19H as a reply to see if YT will allow it that shows the gear well.
Man, seeing all the mechanic, complex, tight function element and everything that makes an airplane what it is, it`s impossible not to love the machie. Everything must work so perfectly, almost like a swiss watch. Many lives to harvey and happy landings to you Mr. Juan "Blancolirio" Brown, from portugal
Most informative and explained by video. Can't get any better than that Juan. Outstanding. I bet you're glad for those old manuals too. Looks like you also have a great crew. I think Harvey will pass the test. Appears it's been well cared for. Thanks for posting this. Learning stuff every time you do.
Having flown 1000s of hours in 310s one of the major problems we encountered was low time pilots extending gear at too higher airspeed. It is critical to low the undercarriage below from memory 129 kts. We had 5 nose gear damage due to this procedure. The drag when lowered on the noise wheel is very high.
Juan, great video, so few videos capture maintenance like this one. You do a great service to Aviation Mechanics everywhere. You made me appreciate doing swing checks on hydraulic gear. I got flashbacks of rigging helicopter flight controls. All of these tasks are very rewarding once you figure them out. Much like the way you describe the feeling of flying your lovely 310 well. God Bless!
Gee it’s great to see the clever engineering to get the sequence of doors, gear and uplocks to work in the right order. I had no idea how complex the 310 landing gear system was. Thank you for the insight.
Thanks for posting such fascinating videos! As a kid, I loved taking things apart and reassembling them (though I blew up a 3 horse engine, once). ..so much fun to watch this!
That was a fantastic video, like many others have mentioned the gear check was far more involved than I expected it to be! It also made me realize how important it is to have your annual done at a reputable and trust worthy (and of course certified) mechanic! Thank you Juan for taking a complicated subject and making it easy, well easier to understand!
I had many 100's of hours flying in short and long noses out of Eros airport FYWE as a happy passenger in the RHS front seat from 1999 to 2007. One engine failure and many adventures later I am still alive. Good aircraft, Good pilots, Good charter company and good memories.
Hi Juan, Very interesting! And gives good credit to A&P Mechanics. Can be a very complex job! Earned my A&P in Purdue University Aviation Technology program in 1959. Private Pilot in 1964. And in 1965 logged about 25 minutes "stick" time in cruise in the right seat of a USAF U-3 "Blue Canoe," the USAF version of the 310. Was in United Airlines Engineering and Maintenance at SFO/OAK 1966-2001! Keep up the good work, I really enjoy your excellent Blancolirio site!
Great video Juan, amazing what all is involved in doing an annual on a 310. I watched the 310 pilot video awhile back when he had his annual, they found an issue with his nose gear that could have led to a collapse during landing. Your 310 is in beautiful shape, I got my multi engine in a 310 at Vincennes University back in the late 80’s, it was a great plane to fly!
This is a beauty of a 310! Original N number too. It reminds me in spring 1980 I was with Dad when we went to Kansas City to buy a 1971 pressurized Cessna 414, after that went to Wichita where Dad took the 3 week Cessna 414 maintenance course, primarily Dad needed it to be able to sign out pressurized aircraft but the training on the gear rigging was very valuable too, Dad said it was a little complex and one needed to get the details right, i was 18, good memories
I've been flying since I soled at 16 in 1968. But I've never owned an airplane. As a CFI, I've had the benefit of flying in my younger years when I really learned to fly. As I got older, I had to put two kids through college. Yeah, I could have avoided that lifestyle and owned a C-210 or even a C-310. If I had to do it all over again, I'm not sure. I love my two kids, but my family and I live far apart these days. I wish I could have had both lifestyles, but I made my choices and now I have to live with them.
Well Done Very Informative Video! The 310 is one of my all-time favorite GAA twins! I got totally hooked on the 310 from watching one of my favorite TV Shows in my younger years: Sky King.
Finally!! Someone made a video of a 310 gear rigging check. THANKYOU!! I do prefer the hydraulic Aztec gear system though. Only takes an hour to do the checks.
I hated working on those. 30 + years ago we subbed maint for an outfit that ran a few of these. After they had a gear up, the owner operator repaired the skin and put back in service. A few weeks later, due the a/c was inspection subbed to us. We were, OMG, Not a single grease fitting would take grease and every gear bushing was dry and almost seized. Notable we addressed the issue, but we could not believe we received this unit to inspect in this condition after a repair and a gear up landing.
Blanco this is torment you keep showing the airplanes that I have drooled about all of my life. I'd love to see an original Piper Malibu look-see. I had to give up the mighty '66 Cessna150 in 1992. My gf, financial, and health issues brought an abrupt end to all things aviatey in my world. Love all your productions.
Back in the early 1973ish days. I was working on my pilots license in Michigan - Oakland Pontiac airport. Traded cleaning planes or spills for flight time. Turns out I was very good at cleaning black soot off the engines. Met great pilots and mechanics.
So intricate Juan. But with those long legs . It's the prettiest. I never knew it was that involved. I have a Cardinal RG and that gear swing is amazing.
I am glad you're doing a maintenance on your plane least you know to yourself as safe as possible that's a lot of homework good video my friend have a nice day God bless👍👍👍👍🙏🛩
I am very familiar of that gear system. I oversaw an annual for a friend of mine ‘64 310. The adjustment of the down switch gave us fits. It worked good on the ground, but I flight tested it and the green light didn’t come on. Went through the emergency gear extension procedure and it still didn’t. Did a flyby of tower and it looked good so I did a no flap landing to be ready to go around since I didn’t know with the series gear circuit which one was the problem. It was okay so we checked it again on the ground and it checked out again. Ended up rigging the three switches to a box with 3 lights and found it was the right main gear switch. Made another adjustment and got it squared away. Never cared for that single light system.
Juan, great video can't tell you how many shops don't do this full procedure during annual! There are only two shops in the US that I allow to rig the gear on my 401B. BTW, check your log books, look to see when the last time the gear box was serviced. I'm willing to bet it's never been opened up. I did mine and the grease was hard as a rock!! Scraped it all out rinsed with mineral spirits and then installed all new grease.
I remember as a kid being just fascinated watching A & P testing the gear on my Dad’s Bonanza. It was just SO cool to lay on the ground in front of the airplane, and watch all those intricate parts moving in their dance to retract and drop the gear…. I had to hand crank it down one night when the regular system failed…. It was NOT a quick process with that tiny crank in the back seat 😃😃😃
Looks like you guys had a great time. Wow never knew how much went into testing a non-experimental plane. Thanks for sharing. Poor Jimmy has a lot of work ahead of him. Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith Noneya
We (FBO where I worked) had a 310 pilot forget to lower the gear until the last split second, hit full power, props contacted the runway and he actually made a go around! Of course prop tips were well bent. Benton Field, Northern California, early 70's.
Breakfast burrito. Oh my! Two words a pilot could do without when in a two seater airplane at 20 thousand feet. Lol!!! Those little planes cost more that the big ones to keep in the air. Love your passion Juan! You DA Man!
More videos would be great on this beautiful classic plane of yours!! The pre check flying and actual flying videos of this plane are awesome also!! Thanks for sharing alot of your personal time spent with this wonderful vintage plane!!!
That brings back the memories. When they get out of spec pulling overcenter, it is a huuuge.. can of worms. They recommend just going back to the first push/pull rods and get back to proper spec length, and start all over. It is next to nightmare territory. Been there.
Side note: the Grumman F4F Wildcat pilot's had to crank 28 to 32 times to raise their landing gears after taking off. After their sorty, it took 20 cranks to lower the gear.
I had no idea this annual was so involved Great seeing mechanics do their important work They deserve much respect
Because it's a twin and especially because it's a C-310, the annual is so involved and expensive. I've heard that an annual for a C-310 could make your wallet lighter by about 5000 dollars and that was in late 90s when I heard that. I used to own a 1964 PA28-140 which would cost me about 500 - 700 dollars per annual if no expensive repairs were required.
A&P Mechanic here - Thank you, Skip!! You made my day.
@@Тольяттинец-н6ъ Likewise I couldn't help thinking about what this stuff costs. And just imagine when a radio breaks! Yikes. As beautiful as a 310 is, this is unfortunately why I am flying X-Plane on a sim. I don't think I could ever get partners to make this affordable.
This brought back memories, Juan.
When I was a kid growing up in Long Beach my Dad's best buddy had a 182, I got my first ride in that airplane. My father helped this fellow build a Starduster Too, and I was a kid who hung out at the hanger and airport, soaking up all I could about planes. Another guy Dad knew,, a few hangers away, had a 310. I don't think it was as early as Harvey, but it could have been.
Anyway they were doing an annual on it and I wandered down there to watch them do the exact thing you just documented.
The owner of that plane, whom I later flew with, was a stickler on things being "right", with his airplane.
He told me one afternoon that "annuals are expensive, but they are cheap compared to a bent airplane or worse, so they are worth it."
I got offers of flights by other pilots, but my Dad would only let me fly with his friend and the 310 owner. As a father myself, I get it.
Great memories. Thank you.
LOVE this story! Those if us lucky enough to grow up in G.A., WOW! That’s why I love to watch Juan!
Great she passed it alright.
Seriously interesting post.
Jordan certainly knows her stuff,think she will be a great asset as an A&P.
I'll add this a year late! Did my first annual on my new-to-me C320F in January. I chose to do it owner-assisted to learn the systems. We spent 1.5 days for the gear rigging. Fascinating system. My A&P/IA (Chris Hamilton, owner of Tri Valley Aviation at KLVK - who grew up in the business working on twin Cessna's) commented that these gear systems are "like a sewing machine". So true! I was very happy to see him pull out his old tool box with the tension tool, spring scales, and "Rig it Right" instruction guide. He hadn't done one in a few years, but once he picked up speed, he clearly knew it cold. Big respect for the folks who know how to do this intricate procedure the right way!
For it's age, that aircraft looks like it's been very loved and well maintained! Nice find!
There is nothing. Nothing more wonderful to read than the old manuals. You are right about that one. I could read those old manuals, cars, airplanes, trucks, for hours.
Great Video!
Nancy I use to have full volume 1830/2800PW manuals when I fooled with DC3's and F4u's. The PW Manuals Info was clear and illustrations Beautiful. Back when we had.....whats it called... oh yea... A Book.
I have shelves full of manuals from each airplane I flew. Now they sit forlornly unused. I sure as hell can't bring myself to throw any of them away. Beech 1900, Convair 340, ATR42, 727, 737, A300. When I have departed, my kids will probably trash them...
@@paulwilson8367 ohhhh, what a treasure ! Do you think you could scan them and publish them on GitHub or something similar ? Especially flight sim aircraft model developers would be so thankful for that ! :)
Plane: 2 Juan's Knuckles: 0. And the plane wins! Thank you for a great overview of the 310 annual. Outstanding.
I'm wondering if Juan is left handed, if not that is one well bashed left hand.
*Juan:* "This is a very big part of the 310 annual."
*Me:* "A burrito?"
*Juan:* "The swinging of the landing gear."
*Me:* "Ahhhhh."
Seriously, though. Loving these videos. Thanks for sharing them.
Very good video. I've been an A&P/IA for 40 years and it is rare to find a technician that is as thorough and has the understanding of the Cessna 300/ 400 series electro mechanical gear as your IA! Good job!
If, and I really mean "IF" you find a good, reliable, intelligent, due diligence, realistic, in-the-now, relatable, ethical Mechanic, HANG ON TO THEM!!!!!!!
Canadian AME for 40 years plus. It is heartwarming to see qualified technicians who follow the certified manuals. When I see the 401 rebuild using hammers and screwdrivers to change tires, my stomach churns in anger. Thank you for giving the aircraft maintenance industry the respect it deserves in such a technical and precise environment where knownledge and safety are honoured. Thanks Juan.
I'm not a mechanic but I've been watching that with a bit of trepidation. It seems that it is more for youtube views than anything else, but it is nice to see an abandoned plane getting some love.
Thank God there are people like you that have the commitment to keep these works of art flying. I can't imagine a world without there presence.
Again Juan, thanks for your abilities and desire to keep them in the air.
You are a treasure for all of us to enjoy!! The exacting details of a mechanical system is quite unique and amazing to see! A little like a mechanical Swiss watch movement compared to a quartz. Clearly hydraulic systems are much more robust and simple to work on. 1959 was my sister's birth year. It warms my heart to see the love and dedication required to maintain this is good working condition! 👏💖
ERAU 80 CFIA&I ret.
I noticed the steps retract with the wheels going up. Neat video and genuine engineering. Somebody smarter than I figured out something that you depend on every time you want to land safely.
I worked as an AME in Canada from 1986 to 1992. My shop did this inspection on the 310/340 series aircraft and from our research most Canadian and American shops where not doing this inspection. It was tedious and necessary. The poor apprentice would get stuck in the cabin pushing and pulling circuit breakers and checking the manual retraction handle per your video. We had one AME that specialized in the inspection and he was dope doing it. Had the process organized and I often wished I was shown how to do the entire process and be able to have his lever of competencty. I really liked the video and it brought back memories. The older C411 and C421s had a similar gear configuration but I only remember doing the inspection on 310s and 340s. We loved the newer C411 and C421 with the hydralic gear. So much easier to maintain except the first time we did a "blow down" test of the emergency gear system we did not expect the suddeness of the gear action and locking. The aircraft rocked on the jackpads we thought the aircraft was going to fall off them. They never did but we actually would get other techs, especially from our local avionics shot come over to watch the blow down test. GREAT VIDEO!
On one hand, that gear system seems a bit Rube Goldberg, but on the other, it's some impressive engineering. Still, like almost everything about aviation, it's fascinating and very cool to learn about.
I can’t seem to judge if it’s elegant or not. It may just be 12,000 engineering solutions added together in a temporary harmony. My basis for elegant engineering: a browning citori lightning over under shotgun mechanism
Haha…. Complicated??? For that , you want to go to the F-111 landing gear.
@@francisschweitzer8431 heck, you don't even need to go that far, just go to any Cessna single with retracts! Even more complicated than the 310, since you have to get them tuck into the rear fuselage!
From 24:00 on, I had a huge grin on my face ! What extraordinary engineering!.
Too cool.
Thank you Juan.
Nobody is allowed to know as much about aviation as you do.
I am pleased to see how you take work and make it look like fun.
Youre the man
There's nothing better for knowing your airplane than assisting with the annual! Now you know that landing gear system inside and out. I enjoyed the video very much!
You told the story of what happened to the 310-P I sold in 1995 to a "tee"; it ended up a flight school multi engine trainer and met it's demise on a training flight when the nose gear collapsed on landing. The airplane was scrapped and deregistered. I had to smile a little when listening to you describe the scenario.
Outstanding tutorial of a complicated inspection process. Great camera work in tight confines Juan. Look forward to future videos of this annual inspection.
Love how you provide “guidance” to Jimmy and his Save The 310 mission. Absolutely love his enthusiasm but I think Jimmy may as well be trying to build another Ark in his backyard. His 310 gives me nightmares…
As Jimmy would say “ what could possibly go wrong”? Lol. I too like his enthusiasm but his 310 is a bit of a cash cow. He shouldn’t have allow us the choice of him fixing it or scrapping it. He won’t do that again I think. lol.
@@Bywater-S based on his latest video, I think he's gone from "Save THE 310" to "Save A 310". :) Looks like he's going to use the original 310 as a parts bird after all.
@@stephenp448 wasn’t there 2 310’s he was looking at a video ago? But I did hear him say about using the current cash cow for parts. He liked the upgraded turbo prop 310. We’ll see how he does this time!!! Lol
Wow! Amazing system! I think I'll stick with fixed gear LOL
Super cool though, thanks for sharing.
This was really cool to watch. There's so much going on when you move the gear handle it's amazing. What's even more amazing to me is all those moving parts are still very reliable, but there's always an ingenious backup if it fails. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Juan, I almost bought a 310 a month ago after selling my Comanche. I ended up buying a Mooney instead and you are making my decision look really good. I knew 310 needed maintenance love, but the complexity of the gear is crazy.
not much worse than the comanche or mooney system just bigger
Very interesting. Didn't know that there was so much involved in these kinds of checks.
"We'll see. Just like Spirit Airlines!" I like that. Spoken like guy who knows the industry well. Glad the gear passed inspection. I liked the sound the doors make when they close, very assuring.
Ker-chunk! Love it.
Thank you for showing this annual check up. It's very cool to see a&p mechanics at work and all that they have to do to make a plane safe to fly. As for the cost I'm sure it's in the category of if you have to ask you can't afford it, like working on old Ferrari's everything is expensive. Great vid keep 'em coming.
Damn - there are links and rods just everywhere in that landing gear. Makes me wonder how long it took for the engineers to design it originally. And to then create the original set of documentation, complete with expected tolerances etc.
A lot has happened with CAD systems since these were designed, and it really can't have been fun to try to take into account the mechanical tolerances of every single detail and the amount of adjustment from each adjustment point.
It was a different mindset at that time. The men who designed this type of equipment thought different than someone who relies on a CAD program to assist them with the answers. They didnt see this as overwhelming it was just the next thing to do. It may have taken the design team some time to get everything worked out but the end result is a plane that still works very well 62 years later. As far as specs I am sure even the new CAD designs are full of the same specs and tolerances. I am not an A&P mechanic and can assume than many of these tests are now done digitally, where sensors are relied upon to make sure everything is proper. It was just the way it was and not a task like we may see it today. I liken it to before you could drive it was nothing to walk two blocks to your freind's house, after getting a license to drive, it would be easy to get mad that you had to park one house over and walk 50 extra feet.
Thanks for explaining the intricacies of the annual checks on such an aircraft and why it can be so expensive.
I just got home at 0700 after working all night (12 hours). My crew did a bunch of work on a B737-800 and we also replaced the F/O windshield. It was an extremely busy night! Here I am watching this video when I should be going to bed! I have done a bunch of gear rigging on C-210, but not the 310, I found it very interesting! I'm similar age to you and rebuilt my first C-140 in 1984. Thank you for your great, enjoyable content!
Great video. Really cool to see how the whole mechanism works. I actually had to use the hand crank to get the gear down on a 310B once. The nose gear door arms were not properly secured after MX and they jammed up with the nose gear. I had to use the hand crank to break it loose. Luckily there were two of us flying and it all worked out for us in the end.
Thanks for the video, never appreciated how much extra fiddly work goes into maintaining a retractable system, even in a light twin. Great attention to detail and communication from the mechanics
Very interesting and complicated. I hope Jimmy watches this..! Jordan has a good eye for detail....!
Juan. Great Video. Ive done owner assisted annuals on my lanes for 25 years alway a good time and I always learn something. Glad the Arrows gear is less complicated. Always enjoy your videos 👍👍
I watched a 310 land without the nose gear at our local airport back in the 70’s. They touched down on the mains and eased it over onto its nose before it got too slow and dropped.
Juan and his mechanics are doing a very thorough job. My boss at a 310 fleet I worked on could start from scratch and get everything in spec. A lot of shops don’t really know what they’re doing and just swing it on jacks, not adequate. I’m going to hear that gearbox in my sleep tonight
This is an amazing video, Juan! I had no idea how complex a light twin gear system could be. It's totally whiz bang stuff those Cessna design engineers came up with back in that post war period. It couldn't be done today at a rational enough cost to create a saleable airplane. There must have been a big surplus of those guys that learned their trade during the explosive growth of military airplane design and production during the war years. That's the only way you could find people to cheaply enough design and build a reasonably priced product like the 310. The buyers had to be reasonably well heeled enough to afford one, but for Cessna, they sold enough units along with the 172s and 182s to keep the lights on in Wichita! You've got a real creampuff there in Harvey. He's in good hands. Enjoy!
First flight I had in a military airplane was in the Air Force version of the 310, the U-3A out of Paine Field in Everette when I was an AFROTC cadet at UW. It was a thrill to circle Husky Stadium during a game on Saturday afternoon in the Fall of '64. I thought I was pooping in tall cotton then!
Amazed at all the engineering and how they work together. I never knew that the smaller planes have all those parts. Really enjoyed watching this video. Makes me appreciate your jobs inspecting and flying them!
This was really interesting to watch! Keep this content coming whenever you can.
Been maintaining a fleet of 310R for the last 20 years. Good information. It's definitely a puzzle to rig from scratch or if you have to make any changes you always have to start from the beginning of the rigging instructions. Never works to start in the middle. Torque tubes are prone to cracking as well as the bell cranks for the inboard gear doors.
blancolirio, Love watching your videos!!! Always a delight to view, thank you for keeping such a great aircraft in continuous, airworthy operation, hope it passes annuals for decades to come!!!
It inspires confidence when a mechanic refers to a proper, actual, genuine printed paper manual instead of mucking about with a laptop, trying to find something online that may be accurate and fact-checked, but probably isn't.
I was a mechanic on Beechcraft Bonanzas and recall the sounds retracting of the mechanical landing gear sounding very similar to this Cessna 310, Thanks Juan & Crew!
Thank you so much for this fantastic video, I'm not qualified for aero stuff but I spent many years on the tools in vintage cars and classic motorcycles and I can completely appreciate how that system of rods and linkages can become a geometric nightmare if you have to disturb one and you then end up chasing your tail trying to figure out how your adjustments have affected the parts further down "the chain".
Also, "we'll see..." spoken like a true pro 😆 she'll go far in the mechanical/engineering profession.
This is such a wonderful series of videos. Feels like the old mechanical engineering type magazines/books. 😁👍
Dena vu! I'm going to have to go through this on my 310C again pretty soon, too. Glad to see you are using both jack points on the nose, I've seen some 310s messed up structurally from lazy people jacking the nose with only one jack and twisting the structure. I see you mentioned the nose gear idler bellcrank, the source of most nose gear problems in 310s. Harvey should be good to go for another year.
Memories... I in my early A&P years I maintained a C401B and Beech Bonanzas. Later years, Beech A 90s, B 100 A and B and the B 200. Thanks for the memories Juan!
Safety. First and Last. Good job Juan. I think your 310 paint scheme is really nice.
Cleanest 310 I've seen. Nice!
What a good year of the aircraft. It's a 59 like me!
I might have flown in one of these in 1967 from McAlester Oklahoma to Oklahoma city and back the next day.
I thoroughly enjoyed that video Juan. You can't beat a pile of gear swings as long as you have a good charger on the battery. A mechanical delight of pure precision!
Jimmy from Jimmy's World needs to see this for his A310 rehab. I always enjoy Blancolirio Videos...
Great as a pilot to be with their mechanic as they go through a check of their aircrafts systems like this. So much valuable information is learned on how they operate which could end up being invaluable up in the air.
Somebody is forgetting to stomp down on the brakes before retracting the gear judging from the scrub marks inside the main gear wells! Great refresher on the Cessna gear system.
Or the gear is not sitting on the uplocks after retracting and the wheels are rubbing against the structure. When the gear retracts it goes up and then slightly down when hanging on the up locks. This prevents the tires from rubbing in flight.
Great 310 gear resource Juan, much thanks! Also, at 24:00 on the swing, it looks like Harvey might be prone to a near catastrophic problem a friend experienced in a P-51('Never Miss' - N119H). I flew chase for about an hour until after some very high-G maneuvers and down pressure on the system the gear dislodged.
What happened there, was a left-hand oleo seal had become a tad hard and dry, and rolled, which prevented the strut from extending fully. That caused the tire to bind on the inner gear well opening. It was surprising how little binding force was able to prevent the High-pressure hydraulic system from forcing the wheel past such a bind. Lesson learned, was that oleo condition can be an overlooked component often essential to proper gear operation.
Hard to tell from the video but the clearance in Harvey's gear well appears it might be tight like on the P-51. I'll post a link to 19H as a reply to see if YT will allow it that shows the gear well.
Man, seeing all the mechanic, complex, tight function element and everything that makes an airplane what it is, it`s impossible not to love the machie. Everything must work so perfectly, almost like a swiss watch.
Many lives to harvey and happy landings to you Mr. Juan "Blancolirio" Brown, from portugal
Most informative and explained by video. Can't get any better than that Juan. Outstanding. I bet you're glad for those old manuals too. Looks like you also have a great crew. I think Harvey will pass the test. Appears it's been well cared for. Thanks for posting this. Learning stuff every time you do.
Having flown 1000s of hours in 310s one of the major problems we encountered was low time pilots extending gear at too higher airspeed. It is critical to low the undercarriage below from memory 129 kts. We had 5 nose gear damage due to this procedure. The drag when lowered on the noise wheel is very high.
Juan, great video, so few videos capture maintenance like this one. You do a great service to Aviation Mechanics everywhere. You made me appreciate doing swing checks on hydraulic gear. I got flashbacks of rigging helicopter flight controls. All of these tasks are very rewarding once you figure them out. Much like the way you describe the feeling of flying your lovely 310 well. God Bless!
Gee it’s great to see the clever engineering to get the sequence of doors, gear and uplocks to work in the right order. I had no idea how complex the 310 landing gear system was. Thank you for the insight.
Thanks for posting such fascinating videos! As a kid, I loved taking things apart and reassembling them (though I blew up a 3 horse engine, once). ..so much fun to watch this!
That was a fantastic video, like many others have mentioned the gear check was far more involved than I expected it to be! It also made me realize how important it is to have your annual done at a reputable and trust worthy (and of course certified) mechanic! Thank you Juan for taking a complicated subject and making it easy, well easier to understand!
I had many 100's of hours flying in short and long noses out of Eros airport FYWE as a happy passenger in the RHS front seat from 1999 to 2007. One engine failure and many adventures later I am still alive. Good aircraft, Good pilots, Good charter company and good memories.
Hi Juan, Very interesting! And gives good credit to A&P Mechanics. Can be a very complex job! Earned my A&P in Purdue University Aviation Technology program in 1959. Private Pilot in 1964. And in 1965 logged about 25 minutes "stick" time in cruise in the right seat of a USAF U-3 "Blue Canoe," the USAF version of the 310. Was in United Airlines Engineering and Maintenance at SFO/OAK 1966-2001! Keep up the good work, I really enjoy your excellent Blancolirio site!
Thanks for letting me know how expensive a retractable gear system is in time (and therefore money). Great education!
Great video Juan, amazing what all is involved in doing an annual on a 310. I watched the 310 pilot video awhile back when he had his annual, they found an issue with his nose gear that could have led to a collapse during landing. Your 310 is in beautiful shape, I got my multi engine in a 310 at Vincennes University back in the late 80’s, it was a great plane to fly!
About as complicated as an early 60s Lincoln Continental convertible top mechanism.
Just more critical. 😆
This is a beauty of a 310! Original N number too. It reminds me in spring 1980 I was with Dad when we went to Kansas City to buy a 1971 pressurized Cessna 414, after that went to Wichita where Dad took the 3 week Cessna 414 maintenance course, primarily Dad needed it to be able to sign out pressurized aircraft but the training on the gear rigging was very valuable too, Dad said it was a little complex and one needed to get the details right, i was 18, good memories
Loved the insight into the 310 gear. You can tell a good day in the hangar when you loose all the skin off your knuckles!
Thats a lot of work and your knowledge Juan is impressive!!!!
Thank you, Juan..... This was most interesting. You are much appreciated. Blessings.
I've been flying since I soled at 16 in 1968. But I've never owned an airplane. As a CFI, I've had the benefit of flying in my younger years when I really learned to fly. As I got older, I had to put two kids through college. Yeah, I could have avoided that lifestyle and owned a C-210 or even a C-310. If I had to do it all over again, I'm not sure. I love my two kids, but my family and I live far apart these days. I wish I could have had both lifestyles, but I made my choices and now I have to live with them.
Well Done Very Informative Video! The 310 is one of my all-time favorite GAA twins! I got totally hooked on the 310 from watching one of my favorite TV Shows in my younger years: Sky King.
These maintenance videos are very interesting and informative. Thanks for posting.
Finally!! Someone made a video of a 310 gear rigging check. THANKYOU!! I do prefer the hydraulic Aztec gear system though. Only takes an hour to do the checks.
I hated working on those. 30 + years ago we subbed maint for an outfit that ran a few of these. After they had a gear up, the owner operator repaired the skin and put back in service. A few weeks later, due the a/c was inspection subbed to us. We were, OMG, Not a single grease fitting would take grease and every gear bushing was dry and almost seized. Notable we addressed the issue, but we could not believe we received this unit to inspect in this condition after a repair and a gear up landing.
Love this! Not many commercial pilots who don't mind getting their hands dirty! Renaissance man indeed!
My dad was crew chief on a U3a at Wright field …love your 310 videos…..
Blanco this is torment you keep showing the airplanes that I have drooled about all of my life.
I'd love to see an original Piper Malibu look-see.
I had to give up the mighty '66 Cessna150 in 1992. My gf, financial, and health issues brought an abrupt end to all things aviatey in my world.
Love all your productions.
The best 25:40 I ever spent. Watching how the gear works on a '59 310. Thanks.
Back in the early 1973ish days. I was working on my pilots license in Michigan - Oakland Pontiac airport.
Traded cleaning planes or spills for flight time. Turns out I was very good at cleaning black soot off the engines. Met great pilots and mechanics.
So intricate Juan. But with those long legs . It's the prettiest. I never knew it was that involved. I have a Cardinal RG and that gear swing is amazing.
I am glad you're doing a maintenance on your plane least you know to yourself as safe as possible that's a lot of homework good video my friend have a nice day God bless👍👍👍👍🙏🛩
Great vid thanks Juan.
I am very familiar of that gear system. I oversaw an annual for a friend of mine ‘64 310. The adjustment of the down switch gave us fits. It worked good on the ground, but I flight tested it and the green light didn’t come on. Went through the emergency gear extension procedure and it still didn’t. Did a flyby of tower and it looked good so I did a no flap landing to be ready to go around since I didn’t know with the series gear circuit which one was the problem. It was okay so we checked it again on the ground and it checked out again. Ended up rigging the three switches to a box with 3 lights and found it was the right main gear switch. Made another adjustment and got it squared away. Never cared for that single light system.
So that's how that's supposed to look! I'm going to need to do that very soon :)
I just love this series on Harvey! Keep them coming!
It demonstrates the incredible engineering done by Cessna all those years ago. I'm sticking with my 1978 C152 - gear always down and welded!!
Juan, great video can't tell you how many shops don't do this full procedure during annual! There are only two shops in the US that I allow to rig the gear on my 401B. BTW, check your log books, look to see when the last time the gear box was serviced. I'm willing to bet it's never been opened up. I did mine and the grease was hard as a rock!! Scraped it all out rinsed with mineral spirits and then installed all new grease.
This reminds me of why I started watching your channel back in 2014. You did a bonanza gear check on an annual.
I remember as a kid being just fascinated watching A & P testing the gear on my Dad’s Bonanza. It was just SO cool to lay on the ground in front of the airplane, and watch all those intricate parts moving in their dance to retract and drop the gear…. I had to hand crank it down one night when the regular system failed…. It was NOT a quick process with that tiny crank in the back seat 😃😃😃
Juan, love your skinned up mechanic hands! I still have scars on the back of my hands from sticking my hands in panels on the KC-135!
Looks like you guys had a great time. Wow never knew how much went into testing a non-experimental plane. Thanks for sharing. Poor Jimmy has a lot of work ahead of him. Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith Noneya
That was absolutely fascinating Juan - thanks for taking us along!
We (FBO where I worked) had a 310 pilot forget to lower the gear until the last split second, hit full power, props contacted the runway and he actually made a go around! Of course prop tips were well bent. Benton Field, Northern California, early 70's.
That happens....
The engineers who designed the system were damn smart people
Great team work in the hangar Juan. ✈️
Breakfast burrito. Oh my! Two words a pilot could do without when in a two seater airplane at 20 thousand feet. Lol!!!
Those little planes cost more that the big ones to keep in the air.
Love your passion Juan! You DA Man!
More videos would be great on this beautiful classic plane of yours!!
The pre check flying and actual flying videos of this plane are awesome also!!
Thanks for sharing alot of your personal time spent with this wonderful vintage plane!!!
That brings back the memories. When they get out of spec pulling overcenter, it is a huuuge.. can of worms. They recommend just going back to the first push/pull rods and get back to proper spec length, and start all over. It is next to nightmare territory. Been there.
Side note: the Grumman F4F Wildcat pilot's had to crank 28 to 32 times to raise their landing gears after taking off. After their sorty, it took 20 cranks to lower the gear.
Outstanding love seeing how machine work