MAIN GEAR - DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION(32-10-00)

A. Main Landing Gear

Each MLG includes these components:
- a MLG leg which includes a shock absorber
- torque links
- a side-stay assembly
- a retraction actuator
- electrical and hydraulic dressings.
B. Main Landing Gear Leg
Each MLG leg has two primary structural components, which are the main fitting and the sliding tube.
Each of these components is a one-piece assembly and contains the shock absorber. An axle, which is
a part of the sliding tube, can contain a wheel-speed tachometer, a brake-cooling fan and/or a tire-
pressure sensor for each wheel.
C. Torque Links
The upper torque-link and the lower torque-link align the axle. They attach to the lugs at the front of
the main fitting and the sliding tube. There is a torque-link damper at the interface of the upper and
lower torque-links. The torque-link damper absorbs the vibrations that can occur during landing.
D. Side-Stay Assembly
A two-piece side-stay assembly connects the MLG leg main-fitting and the wing structure. It prevents
the movement of the landing-gear leg sideways. The side-stay assembly is locked in the down position
by a two-piece lock-stay assembly.
E. Retraction Actuator
A retraction actuating cylinder connects the wing structure and the landing-gear forward hinge-point.
The retraction actuating cylinder retracts the MLG leg (sideways) into the fuselage.
F. Inflation Valve
The main fitting and the sliding tube each have an inflation valve. The valves are used to fill the shock
absorber with hydraulic fluid and nitrogen
G. Dressings
Between the main fitting and the sliding tube there is a slave link. It holds the electrical cables and the
hydraulic pipes, to make sure they do not catch on the wheels.
A spare-seal activating-valve is on the main fitting. This operates if there is a hydraulic leak through
the gland seals. It is only used until the gland seals can be examined/replaced. The hydraulic pipes and
the electrical harness are in rigid and flexible conduits. The conduit routing gives:
- protection from runway debris, birdstrikes and flailing tire treads
- maximum separation of the two systems.
The MLG leg has a main fitting and a sliding tube, which together make the shock
absorber. The torque-links align the main fitting and sliding tube, but lets vertical
movement between the parts occur. A torque link damper decreases the landing
vibrations through the torque links.

The main fitting is made of die-forged ultra-high-tensile steel, and includes:

- the main barrel
- the drag stay
- the cross tube
- the aircraft interface attachment-lugs.
To prevent possible stress points, the main fitting does not have screw-threads or screw-thread inserts.
The external lugs and brackets on the main fitting hold these parts:
- the MLG retraction-actuating-cylinder
- the lock stay
- the brake manifold
- the fixed fairing
- the uplock pin
- the side-stay assembly
- the upper torque-link
- the spare-seal activating-valve
- the upper slave-link
- a beam (to install or remove the MLG during maintenance).
The barrel of the main fitting is a cylinder, closed at the top, which makes the outer part of the shock
absorber. The main fitting contains a diaphragm and tube assembly, which makes the top of the shock
absorber. A pin connects the diaphragm and the tube assembly. This pin is in the two lateral holes in
the main fitting, and contains the shock-absorber charging-valve.
A hollow cross-tube at the top of the main fitting has two attachment-fittings that connect the MLG to
the airframe. The aft attachment-fitting has a machined lug that holds the rear spherical bearing. The
forward attachment-fitting has a cylindrical lug that connects to the forward spherical bearing. A pintle
pin connects the aft attachment-fitting of the MLG gear to rib 5. The pintle pin has greasers to
lubricate the attachment fitting with grease. A seal assembly and locking ring, on the forward
attachment fitting has greasers to lubricate the spherical bearing.
A drag stay between the main fitting and the forward end of the hollow tube holds the MLG retraction
actuator. A machined lug on the drag stay connects the lock stay. The forward and the aft fitting
assemblies transmit vertical loads (and small drag loads caused by friction) to the airframe. The sliding
tube, which is ultra-high tensile-steel, moves in the main fitting and is a primary component of the
shock absorer. The sliding tube has a chromed external face.
The axle and sliding tube are a one-piece item. The shock-absorber (main fitting) lower-bearing is put
as low as possible to reduce the bending moments on the sliding tube. It also makes the structure
lighter.
A lip in the sliding tube engages the head of a cylinder, to make a second stage chamber. The jacking
dome is at the bottom of the cylinder.