Harrier GR.1/3 etc. NLG door operation

[LanceB]

I am in the process of building the new Kinetic Harrier GR.1, and have a silly question: the NLG doors were normally open on the ground, but I also know they operated the same as the AV-8Bs I used to help maintain.  Which is to say, when the gear is extended the doors close automatically by hydraulics.  On the Bs if you wanted to get into the nose gear bay for maintenance, you had to operate the "T Handle" (as we called it) on the port side of the nose: push the button in the middle of it, the handle would pop out, then you gave it a twist to release hyd pressure and let the doors open.  You also had to push that back in before flight or the doors would not close even with pressure on the system.  Normally, if we opened the doors, we left that handle out and the plane captain would close it as part of the preflight check.  If you were doing maintenance you didn't want to be in the bay with that handle closed "just in case" - if there was pressure in the system it would close the doors on you!

 

However, when I started looking at pics of GR.1/3 aircraft, I couldn't see that "T Handle" anywhere.  Was there one, or was it inside the cockpit?  And, if it was external like on the Bs/GR.5/7/9 etc., where was it and was it left out as was our SOP?

[sloegin57]

3 hours ago, LanceB said:

I am in the process of building the new Kinetic Harrier GR.1, and have a silly question: the NLG doors were normally open on the ground, but I also know they operated the same as the AV-8Bs I used to help maintain.  Which is to say, when the gear is extended the doors close automatically by hydraulics.  On the Bs if you wanted to get into the nose gear bay for maintenance, you had to operate the "T Handle" (as we called it) on the port side of the nose: push the button in the middle of it, the handle would pop out, then you gave it a twist to release hyd pressure and let the doors open.  You also had to push that back in before flight or the doors would not close even with pressure on the system.  Normally, if we opened the doors, we left that handle out and the plane captain would close it as part of the preflight check.  If you were doing maintenance you didn't want to be in the bay with that handle closed "just in case" - if there was pressure in the system it would close the doors on you!

 

However, when I started looking at pics of GR.1/3 aircraft, I couldn't see that "T Handle" anywhere.  Was there one, or was it inside the cockpit?  And, if it was external like on the Bs/GR.5/7/9 etc., where was it and was it left out as was our SOP?

The 'T' handle was situated in front of the port nwd and, during my time on the OCU, usually the first thing to be operated on engine shut down so that the doors could be opened to fit the nose leg lock.  As you say, it was under a panel, painted red on the inside, which could not be closed until the handle was pushed back in, usually during crew walk round.

 

Dennis

 

Edited December 28, 2020 by sloegin57
Photo added

[LanceB]

1 hour ago, sloegin57 said:

The 'T' handle was situated in front of the port nwd and, during my time on the OCU, usually the first thing to be operated on engine shut down so that the doors could be opened to fit the nose leg lock.  As you say, it was under a panel, painted red on the inside, which could not be closed until the handle was pushed back in, usually during crew walk round.

 

Dennis

 

 

Hi Dennis,  thanks for that, now that I know where to look I can see it in some pics of operational GR.1s.  Although, I seem to see more pics of early GR.1s with the NLG doors open and that t-handle access panel closed than I do with the doors open AND the t-handle access also open.  Perhaps the procedure changed over time?  Hopefully not as the result of someone getting sandwiched in there.

 

That's also quite different from the later arrangement, you can see the t-handle just in front of the intake in this pic: http://data3.primeportal.net/hangar/bill_spidle2/av-8b_164566/images/av-8b_164566_39_of_40.jpg

 

It was flush with the cockpit skin when retracted, there was no panel over it, and it was not necessary to open the doors to install the NLG downlock pin.  When I worked on Harriers, the doors were normally left shut unless we needed to get in there no check something, like the nose puffer duct or NLG hydraulics.  Other than that, we left them alone as there was nothing in there we needed to see routinely, unlike the MLG bay that we had to inspect daily before flight.  And of course, opening and closing the MLG doors was a manual operation best given to the new guy in the shop as one of his first tasks on the line. 😉