Delta Mike

My Feedback: (18)

What are the advantages for running two seperate air tanks for gear and brakes? Can you just run one large tank for both.

Thanks for any input here,

Dennis

baileywm

My Feedback: (6)

brakes are the most leak prone part of any jets air system. If you get a leak, your gear might not have enough pressure to come back up, worse yet, to come down. I have had brake tanks lose air a few times, such as 2 instances where O-ring seals failed/popped out in the wheel/brake hub.


Wojtek

George

My Feedback: (57)

Dennis, you are going to get many opinions to this question. It comes down to preference and whether you have the room to accomodate one large tank or 2-3 smaller tanks. I've done both and it really depends on the situation.

There are many schools of thought on the subject, but personally I run two if I can but do not give it a second thought if I can't.

George

Gordon Mc

My Feedback: (11)

I run two tanks, for the same reason mentioned above - don't wanna have to do a gear-up landing just because of an air leak in the brake system (and for an as yet unknown reason I had a lot of those with certain types of brake valves).

erbroens

Yep, same opinion.. if you are using a 2 air line landing gear (like Robarts) is better to isolate
the brake system with another tank. If you are using a 1 air line gear (like Springair) I prefer
to use just one large tank.

BR, Enrique

basimpsn

My Feedback: (5)

Two air tanks for me same with two receiver battery.

Wayne22

My Feedback: (2)

keep it simple - keep them separate.

tp777fo

My Feedback: (28)

I run one system. Plumb the brakes to the "down" side of the retracts. When the gear is up there is no pressure on the brakes to leak. If the brakes do leak then the gear have to be down to do it, if the gear is down and the brakes leak then I dont have any worries. Got the idea when I was flying the B-737 (thats the way the brakes are plumbed in the hydraulic system on jet) and it has worked for years on my models.

Delta Mike

My Feedback: (18)

Thanks Tom, that is a great idea!!! the answer that I have been waiting for...

Thanks again Tom, Dennis

erbroens

Very clever!!! you could only have a problem if there is a massive leak or malfuction in the brake valve while extending the gear. and this is very unlikely to happen.

Best regards, Enrique

GlennisAircraft

My Feedback: (1)

We recommend two tanks - reason is more than a leak. Some guys (and gals) use the brakes very often, and they can also deplete retract air, causing a gear failure. The brake is not the most likely to leak - why? The system is smaller and less complicated.

The biggest mistake you can make in hooking to the retract tank is doing so incorrectly - you won't have a brake leak in flight is they have no air;

The 'down' side air trick (on the retracts) is one we have used for 14 years, and is the best of both worlds for most high pressure o-ring setups - still not good on low pressure systems like ours, because retract pressure is so high.

Best all around is a two tank system. You can run the best pressure in each.

Dennis

P38J

My Feedback: (14)

For myself I think it's more of a fashion statement/excepted practice more than anything else. What advantage is there to having two separate systems? Simplicity? No! Weight savings? No! Less chance of a leak? No you’re doubling your chance of a leak. I just connect my brake valve to the gear down side of my retract system no pressure to leak down during flight, if there was a leak in the brake system it would not effect the extension of the landing gear unless you applied the brakes while you put the gear down. If the leak was bad enough you might not have brakes on landing but how would that be any different if you had two systems.

Wayne22

My Feedback: (2)

Obviously, you have been lucky enough not to have a "T" fitting split on you.........

To each his own, but for me, the risk is not worth it.......