AIRCRAFT LANDING GEAR

LANDING GEAR


is a structure which installed on the aircraft for the ground and also allows the aircraft to land safely. Landing gear also provides mobility to the aircraft purpose to support the weight of the aircraft whiles it on ground or water. Aircrafts require landing gear for taxiing, takeoff, and landing. Initially aircrafts used skids as its landing gear. Times after times, wheels were attached to the skids. Since that time, various arrangements have been used for wheels and structures to connect them to the airplane.

TYPES OF LANDING GEAR

Conventional landing gear  Tricycle landing gear  Tandem landing gear


Conventional landing gear



consists of two wheels forward of the aircraft's center of gravity and a third small wheel at the tail. This type of landing gear is most often seen in older general aviation airplanes. The two main wheels are fastened to the fuselage by struts. Without a wheel at the nose of the plane, it easily pitches over if brakes are applied too soon. Because the tailwheel is castered-castered--free free to move in any direction-direction--the the plane is very difficult to control when landing or taking off.

History


In early aircraft, a tail skid made of metal or wood was used to support the tail on the ground. In most modern aircraft, a small, articulated wheel assembly is attached to the rearmost part of the airframe in place of the skid. This wheel is steered by the pilot through a connection to the rudder pedals, allowing the rudder and tail wheel to move together.

Advantages
  

tailwheel has less parasite drag less expensive to buy and maintain Tailwheel aircraft are easier to manman-handle on the ground and, due to their lower tail, they will fit into some hangars more easily If a tailwheel fails on landing, the damage to the aircraft will be minimal. This is not the case in the event of a nosewheel failure, which usually results in propeller damage.

Disadvantages


Tail wheel aircraft are much more subject to "nose"nose-over" accidents, due to main wheels becoming stuck in holes or injudicious application of brakes by the pilot Conventional geared aircraft are much more susceptible to ground looping. A ground loop occurs when directional control is lost on the ground and the tail of the aircraft passes the nose, in some cases completing a full circle. This event can result in damage to the aircraft's undercarriage, tires, wingtips and propeller. Avoiding ground loops requires increased pilot training and skill.

Tail wheel aircraft are more difficult to taxi during high wind conditions, due to the higher angle of attack on the wings. They also suffer from lower crosswind capability and in some wind conditions may be unable to use crosswind runways or singlesingle -runway airports.  Conventional geared aircraft require more training time for student pilots to master.


TRICYCLE LANDING GEAR



Tricycle gear is the most popular landing gear arrangements. The tricycle undercarriage includes two main gears just aft of the center of gravity and a smaller auxiliary gear near the nose.

Advantages


 

It allows more forceful application of the brakes during landings at high speeds without causing the aircraft to nose over. It permits better forward visibility for the pilot during takeoff, landing, and taxiing. It tends to prevent ground looping (swerving) by providing more directional stability during ground operation since the aircrafts center of gravity (CG) is forward of the main wheels. The forward CG keeps the airplane moving forward in a straight line rather than ground looping.

TANDEM LANDING GEAR



is used for very large aircraft like the BB-52 bomber and the UU-2 reconnaissance/research aircraft. The main landing gear is in two sets that are located one behind the other on the fuselage. The tandem landing gear allows the use of a highly flexible wing, but it may also require the use of small wheels on the tips of the wings to keep the wings from scraping the ground.

Another Types of Landing Gear

Quadricycle  Unconventional  Bogey


QUADRICYCLE


Quadricycle gear are also very similar to the tricycle arrangement except there are four main gear roughly equal in size and mounted along the fuselage. Like tricycle gear, the quadricycle undercarriage also requires a very flat attitude during takeoff and landing. This arrangement is also very sensitive to roll, crosswinds, and proper alignment with the runway. The most significant advantage of quadricycle gear is that the plane's floor can be very close to the ground for easier loading and unloading of cargo. However, this benefit comes at the price of much higher weight and drag than bicycle gear.

UNCONVENTIONAL


Aircraft that have to land on water are fitted with skids rather than wheels. These skids are the unconventional landing gears for the aircraft. Some planes had interchangeable skids and wheels so that the plane could be used to land both on land and on water. Other than skids, skis and floats also the unconventional gears.

BOGEY


Another type of landing gear is the use of multiple wheels per landing gear strut. It is especially common to place two wheels on the nose strut of the tricycle arrangement to provide safety and steering control in case of a tire blowout. This additional tire is particularly useful on carriercarrier-based aircraft where two nose wheels are a requirement. When multiple wheels are placed on the same gear unit, they are attached together on a structural device called a bogey. The heavier the aircraft becomes, the more wheels are typically added to the bogey to spread the plane's weight more evenly across the runway pavement.

Classification of Landing Gear

NonNon -Absorbing Landing gear



 

Includes Rigid landing gear, ShockShock-cord landing gear, Spring landing gear Rigid: helicopters, sailplanes. No flexing other than the structure. Shock cord system: uses Bungee cords Spring type uses spring steel (some Cessnas)

Images of Non absorbing landing gear

**RIGID** *Shock cord* **spring type*

ShockShock -Absorbing Landing Gear

      

Dissipates landing energies by forcing fluid through a restriction This fluid generates heat, dissipated into the atmosphere Two types: Spring Oleo, and AirAir-Oil Oleo Spring Oleo is history by now Air Oleos are all very similar: a needle valve restricts fluid flow Air in the oleo holds the weight of the a/c on the ground Air Oleos present in both retractable and fixed gears

Images of shockshock-absorbing landing gear

Spring oleo Air-Oil Oleo Air-

Fixed Gear


 

Non retractable, usually bolted on to the structure Often uses fairings or wheel pants Advantages: Lighter weight Least costly

Images of Fixed gear

Retractable Gear


 

Designed to eliminate drag (the greatest advantage) Can be either fully or partially retractable Direction of retraction depends on airframe model Methods of retraction: hydraulic, electric, mechanical, pneumatic Critical area of aircraft maintenance for safety reasons

Images of Retractable landing gear

Hulls and Floats

 

 

Can be single float, or multiple Definition may include floating hulls (ex. Lake aircraft) Floating hulls may only require wing tip floats Skis used for snow and ice (wood, metal, composites) Skis are mounted on the same strut as tires

Hulls

and

Floats

END
LANDING GEAR Cast of Characters Jaysser Fuentes Johnzel Vasquez Raffy Zara Instructor Christopher Linga

Stunt Men ALL AMT 44- 1