Landing Gear

INTRODUCTION & PURPOSE

 Means of maneuvering aircraft

 Support the aircraft at a required height (clearance for flaps/props & loading)
 Absorb the kinetic energy on landing
 Controlling of deceleration – brake system

LANDING GEAR LAYOUTS

 Light training aircraft adopts tricycle layout ( not retractable, to reduce weight )
 Commercial airliners adopts tricycle retractable gear

LANDING GEAR WHEEL LAYOUT

 Wheel layout depends on your aircraft type – check POH

 Commerical airliners configures the twin wheel (A320/321,B737) and boggie (A330/340,B747/777)

LANDING GEAR DESIGN

 Two main type – FIXED & RETRACTABLE

 Fixed type – incudes 3 designs

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 1 – Spring steel legs – usually for main gear, one end fixed on fuselage and other end
with wheel and brake assembly. Constructed by tapered spring steel.
2 – Rubber cord/bungee cord – Outdated design
3 – Oleo pneumatic – Usage of Air/compressed gas and oil/hydraulic oil in the system.
Includes both nose & main gear assemblies.

OLEO PNEUMATIC SYSTEM – shock strut

 System uses combination of compressed Air and oil in the cylinders to absorb & dissipate the shock on
landing
 Two telescopic cylinders – one attached to the aircraft and other to wheel assembly.
 Cylinder attached to wheel normally called the PISTON cylinder, which moves inside the upper cylinder.
 Compression stroke (landing) – flutter valve combines with orifice (blocking the holes on the outer side)
restricting the flow of fluid. Gas inside piston also compresses. Both will absorb the kinetic energy or
shock.
 Extension stroke (air born) – with weight/pressure built inside top cylinder, fluid flows down, while flutter
valve moves down, increasing the fluid flow, less restriction.
 TORQUE LINK – attached one end to outer cylinder, and one to the piston cylinder
Purpose of link is to keep inner piston cylinder and outer cylinder aligned.
A joint in the middle allows oleo to extend and compress.
Worn out torque link may cause rotation of the inner piston, called shimmy.
 SHIMMY – sinusoidal motion of nose wheel when taxing on ground
 SHIMMY DAMPER – its either a spring (in light aircraft) or hydraulic damper (in large
Aircraft) which dampens the oscillations with and opposite force.

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Bracing of Main Landing gear

1-side strut prevent gear collapse inboard

2-Drag strut prevent gear collapse rearward
3-Fore strut prevent gear collapse forward

Bracing of Nose Landing gear

1-Drag strut prevent gear collapse rearward

2-Fore strut prevent gear collapse forward
Note - POH for aircraft specific braces.

STEERING SYSTEM

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  Light aircraft – uses mechanical means for steering (steering rod connected to pedals)
 Large aircraft – Uses hydraulic system for steering.
Once air born the steering is deactivated while entering the wheel well.
Pressure release switch deactivates hydraulic steering.

GEAR POSITION INDICATION

 Electrical system with micro switches installed on up-locks and down-locks provide gear status
 Mechanical indicator also MAYBE provided for redundancy for electrical system failure.
 Indicator for each gear is provided on the instrument panel
 Indication – RED – when gear in transit
GREEN – When gear down and locked
Note – indicator bulbs are sometimes duplicated for redundancy for bulb failure.

LANDING GEAR HYDRAULIC LAYOUT

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SAFETY FEATURES

 NOSE WHEEL CENTERING SYS – avoid damage to airframe during retraction of gear
 GEAR SELECTOR LOCK – Prevent inadvertent retraction of gears when on ground.
Safety devise incorporated onto the selector lever.
Device consist of spring loaded plunger which retains selector in
DownPosition by control of solenoid.
Electrical power to solenoid controlled by micro switch on landing gear.
When gear is compressed, circuit open, and selector locked in down pos.
When gear extended switch closed and selector solenoid deactivates.
There by unlocking the gear selector.
(Note – micro switches operate on principle of weight on wheels basis)
SELECTOR OVERRIDE – separated gated switch to complete circuit for
Emergency purposes/maintenance.

 WARNING HORN – incorporated into system and connected to a throttle operated switch
If 1 or more throttle at 1/3 open (during approach to landing) / descend,
Horn will sound if gear not in down & locked position.
HORN ISOLATION SWITCH – provided to certain flight ops / ground svc.
AIRSPEED HORN – advantage is this will sound first before warning horn.
 GPWS – ground proximity warning sys – warns when aircraft below 500ft with gear retracted.
 Emergency Gear extension – release of up-locks mechanically and extend gear under its own
Weight and down-locks engaged mechanically (free fall method)
Some aircraft uses a separate hydraulic system operated by
Hand pump to provide pressure to jacks for extension.
Hand pump lever will be located in the flight deck floor panel.
Note – micro switch located on gear is called a SQUAT switch – weight on wheels switch

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 TRIM TABS
They're a secondary flight control surface that help you reduce (or eliminate) the need to place pressure on the
yoke or rudder to keep your airplane flying straight and level.

There are four main types of trim tabs:

1. Trim tabs
2. Balance tabs
3. Anti-servo tabs
4. Ground adjustable tabs

So now that you know the four types, let's look at how each of them work.

1) Trim Tab

The plain old trim tab is one of the most common types of tabs used in small single-engine airplanes. A trim tab
is attached to the trailing edge of an elevator, and it's operated by moving a small control wheel in the cockpit.

Roll the wheel in the nose up position, and the tab moves down. Roll the
wheel in the nose down direction, and the tab moves up.

Trim tab moves up > elevator moves down

Elevator moves down creating more lift > a/c nose down

Trim tab moves down > elevator moves up

Elevator moves up creating less lift > a/c nose up

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2) Balance Tab

Some aircraft have very heavy control loads, especially at high speeds. That's where balance tabs come in
handy. Balance tabs look like trim tabs, but they have one major difference: balance tabs are attached to the
control surface linkage, so when the control surface is moved in one direction, the balance tab moves in the
opposite direction.
By moving the balance tab in the opposite direction, the control load on your yoke is significantly reduced,
making your airplane easier to fly

3) Anti-servo Tab

Anti-servo tabs are similar to balance tabs, but they move in the opposite direction. For example, when your
elevator or stabilator moves up, the anti-servo tab moves in the same direction.
So why would you want your tab to move in the same direction as your elevator/stabilator? In small aircraft, it
increases the control feel, and helps prevent you from over-controlling your aircraft's pitch.

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4) Ground Adjustable Tab

If you've flown a training airplane, There's a good chance it had one of these on the rudder. Its only adjustable
on the ground. So how do you adjust it? By bending it left or right, But before you run out and start adjusting
the tab yourself, it's a good idea to see what your POH or mechanic recommends first.

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