WOW switch

[mmoyle]

Anyone ever seen a WOW switch/s (weight on wheels) on Piper PA 22 landing gear. I can see how one would be mounted on the nose gear...but what about the mains? This would be for a leading edge lift indicator. The WOW switch silences the stall horn.


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[Pacerfgoe]

Never heard of one on a light weight Piper......if there is one it’s a total waste of payload....pull it out!

[Spdcrazy]

What would be the benefit of a WOW switch on a fixed gear airplane? Mostly curious is all.

[mmoyle]

Mine had a lift indicator installed, but no WOW switch. It was disconnected when I bought it. The makeshift WOW switch was a normally closed push button switch in the panel right next to the throttle. You had to push in the button while taxing...


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[deandayton]

Stall horn? On a PA22? The only audible warning I get is from my passengers

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[Jeff J]

There are lots of examples of fixed gear aircraft without a WOW switch using electric stall warning systems. They all have a metal tab moved with air pressure, or a lack of air pressure, to activate. I don’t think I ever seen one, including my military career (part of the prelaunch check for the A-10 was to push the tab up and verify the pilot got a tone), that needed the WOW switch. Where did yours come from that it needs the WOW switch?

[dgapilot]

I never saw a stall warning system with a squat switch in the circuit. Doesn’t make much sense to me. If you are on the ground, you shouldn’t have enough speed to activate the vane switch.

All that said, why would you want a stall warning on a Short Wing Piper? I know when I’m flying the Pawnee, the first thing I do when towing gliders is pull the stall warning CB. If you know how to fly, no need for that thing!


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[Jeff J]

.... I know when I’m flying the Pawnee, the first thing I do when towing gliders is pull the stall warning CB...

Common practice among agpilots as well. It’s an unnecessary distraction when you spend a good sized portion of the day on the edge of a stall.

[mmoyle]

What would be the benefit of a WOW switch on a fixed gear airplane? Mostly curious is all.

My Pacer was so equipped when I bought it.... microswitch had failed. I’m thinking about installing it, not for my need but for a few newbies who have never flown in a small aircraft who want to use my airplane to learn in....I learned to fly with a stall horn when I couldn’t see over the instrument panel. Learned to feel the stall...now as a full size boy being able to see makes it that much better;~). Thinking why not while I’m at it.


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[mmoyle]

There are lots of examples of fixed gear aircraft without a WOW switch using electric stall warning systems. They all have a metal tab moved with air pressure, or a lack of air pressure, to activate. I don’t think I ever seen one, including my military career (part of the prelaunch check for the A-10 was to push the tab up and verify the pilot got a tone), that needed the WOW switch. Where did yours come from that it needs the WOW switch?

When I contacted safeflight for a replacement microswitch I had described how my system was installed... the vendor pointed me towards the WOW switch.... I’d never heard of one either so I looked it up. Turns out those switches are used to measure squat or weight on the wheels to deactivate the stall horn and other safety related functions. Like I said, my Pacer had one installed....but it was jury rigged. To silence the stall horn you had to keep your hand on the throttle with your right index finger continuously holding in a push button switch. I came here to ask.... The PA22 has the telescoping front gear, which is where the wow switch is mounted, it opens when the gear compresses. So....if there are other short wings out there with a safeflight lift indicator....what device silences the stall horn while taking off, taxing or sitting stationary?


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