Bob,

In the spirit of getting to know how things work, could you please
elaborate on "Some aren't even locks, but rather 'suspenders' to
another 'belt' somewhere. (My current ship's 'apparent' gear downlock
falls into that category, according to the designer.)"

Thanks!

-John

On Jan 26, 12:29 pm, Bob Whelan wrote:
In a nutshell, never assume you know everything about how a system - any
system - is supposed to work without spending 'considerable time'
physically examining its realities. Of course, reading about it is good
too...but not wholly sufficient.

Never carry a package by the string...by which I'm suggesting all
mechanical locks should be viewed with a jaundiced eye, whether a gear
downlock, flap detent, or whatever. Locks wear. Some aren't even locks,
but rather 'suspenders' to another 'belt' somewhere. (My current ship's
'apparent' gear downlock falls into that category, according to the
designer.) Don't court failure...but be prepared for it. Use
'suspenders' where you can.