Piper Seminole Info.

[jordan]

I am going to fly a Piper Seminole for the first time in a couple days and would like some info. and can not get my hands on the owners aircraft manual until the day of the flight. So, if you happen to know:

1. Explain the hydraulic system.
2. Fire in flight procedure

Thanks.

 

[Acestick]

Seminole questions...

The hydraulics for the brakes are simple, just like the brake system for most single engine cessnas...Msster cylinder hooked to both sets of pedals and linked to the brake pads

The hydraulics for the gear are independant of the braking system...The gear is electrically powered, and hooked to a reversible hydraulic pump...If you have the jeppeson multi engine handbook ( the old one ) it looks exactly like the one described in that book. Basically, pressure holds it up and locks hold it down. 3 green and your okay, any less or a red unsafe light and you got problems...Try switching the lights or recycle it, and if nothing happens slow to 90, lower the gear handle, and pull the emergency extension knob. All it does is relieve all hyrdraulic pressure, which is what holds the gear up, and it'll freefall down. If you don't get three green right away, fishtail the plane with rudder...This way the relative wind will hit the gear doors and help to force the mains into the downlock hooks.


As for either engine catching fire, use the standard L shape flow check for dealing with it

-Fuel Valve off
-Mixture Idle cut-off
-Prop to feather
-Throttle to idle

Open the cowl flaps on the engine you just shutdown and look for a place to land. ( Usually right below you and within one minute of flying time )

Thats pretty much what the POH says for both situations...

Hope that helps

 

[A1FlyBoy]

Emergency Descent:

Throttles closed
Props full forward
airspeed to 140
extend gear at or below 140 KIAS
Check wing flaps UP and Cowl Flaps Closed

Engine Fire In Flight:
Affected Engine-

Fuel Selector OFF
Throttle CLOSED
Prop Feather
Mixture IDLE CUT OFF
Cowl Flap OPEN

(initiate emergency descent to landing <see above>)

 

[bobbysamd]

Seminole Procedures

Acestick is correct about the Jepp manual being on about the Seminole fuel system. What we did at Riddle was to get ahold of the shop manual. That had excellent pictorials for all of the systems. Try that.

Good luck with your training. The Seminole is a friendly multi and instrument trainer, something like an Arrow with two engines.

 

[CRJ_Driver]

PA44 Expert

1. Hydraulic System.

The airplane has 3 hydraulic systems. The brakes, propeller and landing gear.

Brakes = Double puck brakes meaning the pads squeeze both sides of the brake disc. Each toe brake has a brake cylinder. The airplane has 4 brake cylinders. On warriors, arrows...the parking brake has a cylinder...but not true on the 44. Instead by pressing the toe brakes and pulling the parking brake handle..you lock system pressure in the lines. The brakes work off pascals law and there is no brake boosting system.

Propeller = Little more complicated but very easy. If you know the Arrow's system..its the same..just reverse the oil flow. In the pa44 prop increase is oil going into the hub as prop rpm decrease is oil leaving the hub. You always have oil keeping the prop from feathering and thats it! However, you have a large spring and counterweights that are always trying to feather the prop. A loss of oil pressure will send the prop towards the feather position but not necessarly feather the prop.

Ldg Gear = hyd but elec operated reversable pump. the hi pressure switch keis for the gear up position. the lo pressure switch is for the gear down position. If there is excess psi. the switch activates and fluid can go to the resovoir. 1800 psi will keep the gear up and about 600 psi or so to bring the gear down.


For any more specifics don't be afraid to ask. Mx manuals are a big help for diagrams and more in depth info.

My advice is to talk intelligently about a system through the manuals for the aircraft. Don't say Jepp says this is the 44 systems..b/c they might be right..or they might be 99% right. Use Jepp etc.. to supplement your learning.

Fire Procedures:

In flight.

Fuel Selectors Off
Throttle Idle
Prop Fx
Mixture ICO
Heater Off
Fuel Pump Off

In this case...be careful of bringing throttle to idle. If you do real fast ..thats cool but watch out for the simple fact you are also adding an emergency in an engine failure. Not a real big deal unless you are slow..in which case you should probably speed up.

Ground/Start

Engine Continue cranking
Throttle Full Open
Mixture ICO
Boost Pump Off
Fuel Selector Off

GET OUT!!!!!


Also...fly by your SOPS if a 141 school and if a 61 school fly by the POH. In all cases follow your AFM instructions. Everyone follows the general idea. In the case of a 141 school...the FAA reviews everything so if you do a checklist item thats different from the AFM..thats more ok than if you were part 61. In any case the FAA can still come down on you but thats another story.

Read violation by Howard Fries and you will as paranoid as I am about the FAA....we're here to help!

hope this helps though.

 

[bobbysamd]

Seminole

Good posts, especially Precision's comment about the Seminole having three hydraulic systems. That was a favorite Riddle stage check question. Good refresher for my eight-year-old recollection.

Don't forget how the emergency gear extension works, by pulling the valve to relieve the pressure in the lines. Also the nasty but effective trick that instructors and stage check use of pulling the breaker at the right of the breaker panel to simulate a gear extension failure. Look for the nosewheel in the mirror on the left nacelle.

I feel that I am hearing Riddle and FSI all over again.