Assignment

In
Aircraft Systems
AENG 424

Dela Rosa, Renier Joseph V.

Fourth Year Section One
BS Aeronautical Engineering

Engr. Jian Karlo A. Suratos

Instructor

January 7, 2016

1. What is Landing Gear System?

-is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft, and is used in
both takeoff and landing.
For aircraft, the landing gear supports the craft when it is not flying, allowing it to take
off, land, and taxi without damage. Wheels are typically used but skids, skis, floats or a
combination of these and other elements can be deployed depending both on the
surface and on whether the craft only operates vertically (VTOL) or is able to taxi along
the surface. Faster aircraft usually have retractable undercarriages, which folds away
during flight to reduce air resistance or drag.
For launch vehicles and spacecraft landers, the landing gear is typically designed to
support the vehicle only post-flight, and are not used for takeoff or surface movement.

2. Different Types of Landing Gear and how it operates?

-

Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft

undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the center of gravity
and a small wheel or skid to support the tail.

Tricycle gear is essentially the reverse of conventional landing

gear or taildragger. On the ground, tricycle aircraft have a visibility advantage
for the pilot as the nose of the aircraft is level, whereas the high nose of the
taildragger can block the view ahead. Tricycle gear aircraft are much less
liable to 'nose over' as can happen if a taildragger hits a bump or has the
brakes heavily applied. In a nose-over, the aircraft's tail rises and
the propeller strikes the ground, causing damage. The tricycle layout reduces
the possibility of a ground loop, because the main gear lies behind the center
of mass. However, tricycle aircraft can be susceptible to wheel-barrowing.
The nosewheel equipped aircraft also is easier to handle on the ground in
high winds due to its wing negative angle of attack. Student pilots are able to
safely master nosewheel equipped aircraft more quickly.

A floatplane (float plane or pontoon plane) is a type of seaplane, with one

or more slender pontoons (known as "floats") mounted under the fuselage to
provide buoyancy. By contrast, a flying boat uses its fuselage for buoyancy.

Either type of seaplane may also have landing gear suitable for land, making
the vehicle an amphibious aircraft.

Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is

an aircraft undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the center
of gravity and a small wheel or skid to support the tail. [1][2] The
term conventional persists for historical reasons, but nowadays most aircraft
including all jet aircraftare configured with tricycle gear.
The term taildragger is aviation jargon for an aircraft with a conventional
undercarriage, although some writers have argued that the term should refer
only to an aircraft with a tailskid and not a tailwheel.

Retractable gear- Schematic showing hydraulically operated landing gear,

with the wheel stowed in the wing root of the aircraft
To decrease drag in flight some undercarriages retract into the wings and/or
fuselage with wheels flush against the surface or concealed behind doors;
this is called retractable gear. If the wheels rest protruding and partially
exposed to the airstream after being retracted, the system is called semiretractable.
Most retraction systems are hydraulically operated, though some are
electrically operated or even manually operated. This adds weight and
complexity to the design. In retractable gear systems, the compartment where
the wheels are stowed are called wheel wells, which may also diminish
valuable cargo or fuel space.

3. Advantage and Disadvantage of each

Conventional Gear:
Landing gear employing a rear-mounted wheel is called conventional landing
gear [Figure 1: Tail-wheel (Conventional)]
Tail-wheel landing gear aircraft have two main wheels attached to the
airframe ahead of its Center of Gravity (CG) that support most of the weight of
the structure
Advantages:
1. Allows adequate ground clearance for a larger propeller
2. More desirable for operations on unimproved fields
Disadvantages:
1. With the CG located behind the main gear, directional control of this type
aircraft becomes more difficult while on the ground
If the pilot allows the aircraft to swerve while rolling on the ground
at a low speed, he or she may not have sufficient rudder control
and the CG will attempt to get ahead of the main gear which may
cause the airplane to ground loop
2. Lack of good forward visibility when the tail-wheel is on or near the ground
These inherent problems mean specific training (FAR 61.31) is required in tailwheel aircraft

Tricycle Gear:
Landing gear employing a front-mounted wheel is called tricycle landing gear
Tricycle landing gear aircraft have two main wheels attached to the
airframe behind its CG that support most of the weight of the structure
Additionally, a nose wheel will typically provide some sort of nose wheel steering
control
Advantages:
1. It allows more forceful application of the brakes during landings at high
speeds without causing the aircraft to nose over
2. It permits better forward visibility for the pilot during takeoff, landing, and
taxiing

3. It tends to prevent ground looping (swerving) by providing more directional

stability during ground operation since the aircraft's CG is forward of the
main wheels
The forward CG keeps the airplane moving forward in a straight line
rather than ground looping

Pontoons:
One or more pontoons, or floats, are mounted under the fuselage to provide
buoyancy
By contrast, a flying boat such as the Consolidated PBY Catalina, uses its
fuselage for buoyancy
Either type of seaplane may also have landing gear suitable for land, making the
vehicle an amphibious aircraft

Fixed Gear:
Fixed gear is designed to simplify design and operation
Advantages:
o Always deployed
o Low cost
Disadvantages:
o Creates constant drag

Retractable Landing Gear:

A retractable gear is designed to streamline the airplane by allowing the landing
gear to be stowed inside the structure during cruising flight
The primary benefits of being able to retract the landing gear are increased climb
performance and higher cruise airspeeds due to the resulting decrease in drag
Retractable landing gear systems may be operated either hydraulically or
electrically, or may employ a combination of the two systems
Warning indicators are provided in the cockpit to show the pilot when the wheels
are down and locked and when they are up and locked or if they are in
intermediate positions
o Systems for emergency operation are also provided
Disadvantages:
o Increased weight
o Increased cost
o Limited to high performance aircraft

4. Different Parts of Landing gear and its function

a. Steering actuator is a device used to assist with the steering of a vehicle. The most
common type of steering actuator resembles a double-ended, hydraulic ram that is
able to push out both ends of the device. When the actuator is mounted to a chassis,
the rams on either end of the actuator push against the steering linkage, effectively
aiding in the steering of the vehicle
b. A tire (American English) or tyre (British English) is a ring-shaped vehicle component
that covers the wheel's rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance. Most
tires, such as those for automobiles and bicycles, provide traction between the
vehicle and the road while providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock.

c. A wheel speed sensor or vehicle speed sensor (VSS) is a type of tachometer. It is a

sender device used for reading the speed of a vehicle's wheel rotation. It usually
consists of a toothed ring and pickup.
d. A disc brake is a type of brake that uses calipers to squeeze pairs of pads against
a disc in order to create friction that retards the rotation of a shaft, such as

a vehicle axle, either to reduce its rotational speed or to hold it stationary. The energy
of motion is converted into waste heat which must be dispersed.
e.

An oleo strut is a pneumatic airoil hydraulic shock absorber used on the landing
gear of most large aircraftand many smaller ones. This design cushions the impacts
of landing and damps out vertical oscillations.