Park Brake Kits are not a standard inclusion with most aircraft kit manufacturers, so builders are required to develop and fabricate their own.  This system has been developed in-house by Swish Projects to service the needs of all Experimental aircraft builders.  If you have hydraulic disk brakes – then you can use this system.  I have found that the system is perfect for what I want.  I still chock the wheels as I have found that after a few days the brake pressure has dropped and the aircraft can roll.  This system will hold the aircraft in place for hours at a time, but you should always chock the aircraft too.  Also, please not that this design is Swish Projects’ design and has not been inspected or validated by Zenith, Zenair or Matco.  This is an ‘after-market’ item that I developed so that you may avoid all of the research and development that is needed to assemble a kit like this.

The Kit ships with everything you need, and is already pre-assembled.  The aluminum brackets are aircraft grade and CNC milled.

At the core of the kit is the Matco PVPV-D park brake valve supplied with the 1/8″ NPT to 1/4″ brake line fittings already installed (with thread sealer applied, of course!).  If you do not use the 1/4″ brake lines then you can order FOUR 1/8″ NPT fittings in the size that you need from Matco or Aircraft Spruce.

The valve is installed onto a two-piece mounting bracket that allows both a flush-fit to any part of your airframe that lines up with your brake lines, or (as I have done in my 750), you can use the supplied channel bracket to raise your park brake assembly to sit over the umbilical of fuel and control lines that runs under your center console.

Installation is as easy as placing the bracket of your choice into the location that you like, and then use the pre-drilled holes as a guide to make your own holes through the aircraft’s aluminum skin.  Run the supplied round-head bolts up through the skin and the bracket and tighten up the nyloc to secure.  Cut your brake lines at the correct length, push them into the compression fitting and bleed the air out (using the supplied Aeroshell Fluid 41).  Work out where you want your push/pull park brake handle to go and drill in the hole to install it.  Add your supplied PARK BRAKE panel label and you’re all done.

Detailed instructions and packing list can be found HERE.