Aircraft

Landing Gear
The Evolution of a System

Gerd Roloff
Systems General
Airbus-Deutschland GmbH
EYDC , GR , April 2002

Contents
Review of Landing Gear History
Struts and Shock Absorbers
Tyres, Wheels & Brakes
Landing Gear Systems
Test & Certification
Landing Gear Design
Special Purpose Undercarrige
Discussion
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Landing Gear Data

Weight:
Cost:
Maintenance:
Loads:
Speeds:
Rolling distance:
Life time of:
In-Service cycle:

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2,5 5 % of the MTOW

1.5 to 1.75 % of the Aircraft
20 % of the Airframe DMC
up to 30,000 kg/wheel
over 300 km/h
up to 500.000 km
60.000 hours / 20 years
20.000 hours (overhaul)

History

The Beginning - Wright Brothers , 1903

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History

Etrich , 1914 / Albatros , 1918

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History

Messerschmitt Me 20 , 1928
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History

Junkers Ju-52/3m , 1932

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History

Retractable Landing Gear , 1911

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History

Hydraulic powered Landing Gear , He-70 , 1932

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History

Tail Wheel - Type , Focke Wulf Fw 200 , 1936

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History

Overview of Landing Gear Types

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History

Advantages of the NLG-Type:

Improved rolling characteristics
Horizontal floor
The Pilot has better visibility
Easier ground handling (e.g. towing)
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History

Nose Wheel-Type Landing Gear , Jatho IV , 1908

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History

NLG-Type with Twin Wheels , B-29 , 1939

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History

NLG-Type with Single Wheels, Me 262 , 1942

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History

Single Wheels , Convair XB-36 , 1946

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History

8-Wheel MLG , Bristol Brabazon , 1946

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History

Overview Wheel Arrangements

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History

Tandem Gear , Boeing B-52 , 1954

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History

Convair B-58 , 1956

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History

North American XB-70 , 1964

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History

Lockheed C-5 Galaxy , 1968

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History

Boeing B747-100 , 1969

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History

Concorde , 1969
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History

McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 , 1972

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History

Airbus A320 , 1987

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History

Antonow An-225 , 1988

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History

Airbus A340 , 1991

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Landing Gear
General Requirements:

Comfortable shock absorption

Short stopping distance (braking)
High rolling stability during ground manoeuvring
Small storage volume
Low drag (specially for fixed landing gears)
High reliability and safety
Low maintenance
Low weight

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Struts and Shock Absorbers

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Struts and Shock Absorbers

NLG (Nose Landing Gear) , Airbus A300

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Struts and Shock Absorbers

MLG (Main Landing Gear) , Boeing B767

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Struts and Shock Absorbers

Overview Strut-Types
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Struts and Shock Absorbers

Telescopic-type MLG , Fokker F-28

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Struts and Shock Absorbers

Lever-type MLG , BAe 146

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Struts and Shock Absorbers

Semi-lever-type MLG , TU 154

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Struts and Shock Absorbers

4 Wheel MLG , Caravelle

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Struts and Shock Absorbers

MLG , A300
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MLG , A310

MLG , A340

Struts and Shock Absorbers

SCT - Supersonic Commercial Transport

MLG with Steering , B777
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Struts and Shock Absorbers

A400M
Aermacchi / Embraer AMX
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Struts and Shock Absorbers

A400M
EF 2000 - Typhoon
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Struts and Shock Absorbers

A400M
Lockheed Martin F-16
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Struts and Shock Absorbers

A400M
Boeing F-18
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Struts and Shock Absorbers

Rubber Shock Absorber

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Struts and Shock Absorbers

Rubber
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Spring

Oleo

Struts and Shock Absorbers

Oleo-Types
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Struts and Shock Absorbers

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Struts and Shock Absorbers

Active Control
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Semi-active Damping

Tyres, Wheels & Brakes

Brake

Brake
Discs

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Tyre

Wheel

Tyres, Wheels & Brakes

Bias Tyre

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Radial Tyre

Tyres, Wheels & Brakes

NZG = Nearly Zero Growth

NZG Tyre
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Tyres, Wheels & Brakes

NLG

MLG

Wheels
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Tyres, Wheels & Brakes

Pre-rotated Wheels
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Tyres, Wheels & Brakes

Brake Hook , Albatros , 1918

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Tyres, Wheels & Brakes

Palmer - Brake Tube

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Tyres, Wheels & Brakes

Drum Brake
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Multi-disc Steel Brake

Tyres, Wheels & Brakes

4 Rotor and
5 Stator C/C

Wear Pin
Temperatur
Sensor

Piston
Housing

Brake Piston

Carbon Brake
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Braking system

Dunlop Maxaret , 1948

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Braking system

SCT - Supersonic Commercial Transport

Brake Failure
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Braking system

Braking Parachute , Lockheed SR-71

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Braking system

Aircraft Carrier Operations

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Braking system

Aircraft Carrier Operations

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Steering system

Steering Mechanism
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Actuation system

Landing Gear Retraction, Boeing 747

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Tests and Certification

Landing Gear Certification is part of the
Aircraft Certification
Test are performed at the Suppliers
facilities
Normally 4 Prototypes are simultanously
used for:
1. Performance Test
2. Fatigue Test
3. Strength Test
4. -Drop
Test Commercial Transport
SCT
Supersonic
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Tests and Certification

Fatigue Test
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Strength Test

Tests and Certification

SCT - Supersonic Commercial Transport

Drop Test , MLG , A310
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Tests and Certification

Rejected Take-off , B777

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Tests and Certification

SCT - Supersonic Commercial Transport

Dynamometer
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Tests and Certification

Over-load Tyre Test

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Tests and Certification

SCT - Supersonic Commercial Transport

Tyre Failure
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Tests and Certification

SCT - Supersonic Commercial Transport

Normal Landing , A330
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Tests and Certification

SCT - Supersonic Commercial Transport

Landing under adverse Conditions , B747-400
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Tests and Certification

SCT - Supersonic Commercial Transport

One Engine out Take-off, A340
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Landing Gear Design

Airbus A380-800
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Landing Gear Design

Airbus A380-800
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Landing Gear Design

Airbus A380-800
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Landing Gear Design

A380-800
Airbus A380-800
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Landing Gear Design

Airbus A400M
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Future Trends

Smart Shock Absorbers

Integrated Control Units
Improved Materials for Struts and Brakes
Maintenance-free components
More electrical Actuation

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Special Purpose Undercarrige

Otto Lilienthal , 1895

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Special Purpose Undercarrige

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Special Purpose Undercarrige

Multi-wheel arrangement , Ar 232

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Special Purpose Undercarrige

Air Cushion

Aircraft Ground Contact Devices

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Special Purpose Undercarrige

Skid , EC-135
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Special Purpose Undercarrige

Take-off trolley , Ar 234

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Special Purpose Undercarrige

Tracked Gear
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Special Purpose Undercarrige

Skies
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Special Purpose Undercarrige

Aircraft Ground Contact Devices

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Special Purpose Undercarrige

Ekranoplan
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Special Purpose Undercarrige

Seaplane - Amphibian
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The End

EYDC , GR , April 2002