PRB
December 25th, 2011, 11:26
As an avionics tech, I was usually on the ground watching the airframe mechs when they did gear up and down checks with the plane up on jacks. The first time I experienced it from on the plane was a bit unforgettable. I was sitting on the Leading Edge Extension (LEX) of an FA-18C when the handle was thrown up. The first thing I remember was thinking the plane was going to fall off the jacks, since it moved so much as the gear started to move. It ain't a gentle sort of thing! The other noteworthy part was the sound of the gear doors slamming shut, and they do slam shut, with a very loud clap. It's the most noticeable sound in the entire gear retraction sequence. I tell this story only to brag on the RAZBAM A-7, for that plane is unique among all the FS planes I have in that it recreates that particular gear door slapping sound 100% perfectly. Very cool. Whoever was the technical consultant on this got it right!