LANDING GEAR

SYSTEMS AND
MAINTENANCE
INSTRUCTOR: MR . JOHN MARK
VELANO

LANDING GEAR TYPES

The first airplanes with wheels
used a tricycle landing gear. In
a tricycle gear configuration,
the main wheels are located
behind the center of gravity
and an auxiliary wheel (nose
wheel) is located at the front
of the aircraft.

 When airplanes with aft or

"pusher" propellers were
replaced with those having
the propeller up front, the tailwheel landing gear was used
in order to keep the propeller
further above the ground.

 This configuration became so

popular that it is called
"conventional" landing gear,
even though it has the
disadvantage of being difficult
for ground retract the wheels
into the wing or the fuselage to
decrease drag.

LANDING GEAR ARRANGEMENT

Landing gear arrangement is
determined by the manufacturer.
The most prevalent arrangement on
modern aircraft is the tricycle gear
configuration. However, it is
important that the maintenance
technician be familiar with other
arrangements, particularly the
tailwheel or conventional gear
arrangement.

 Occasionally, a technician will

encounter some other form of
landing gear such as the
tandem arrangement in which
the wheels are located down the
centerline of the longitudinal
axis of the aircraft, such as in
the case of some gliders.

Decreased drag can be achieved by

the use of streamlined fairings or by
retracting the gear.

TAILWHEEL TYPE LANDING GEAR

The majority of modern

aircraft do not utilize
conventional landing gear,
resulting in a generation of
pilots who have never
flown an airplane with a
tail-wheel arrangement..

 Tailwheel aircraft are configured

with the two main wheels
located ahead of the aircraft's
center of gravity and a much
smaller wheel at the tail. Moving
the rudder pedals that are linked
to the tailwheel steers the
aircraft on the ground

The configuration of an airplane having a tailwheel-type landing gear is often called a

"conventional" landing gear.

TRICYCLE-TYPE LANDING GEAR

Nearly all currently produced

aircraft use the tricycle
landing gear configuration in
which the main gear are
located behind the airplane's
center of gravity and the
nose of the airplane is
supported by the nose gear.

 Steering the nose wheel through

connections to the rudder
pedals provides control on the
ground for small airplanes, while
large airplanes utilize hydraulic
steering cylinders to control the
direction of the nose gear.

The tricycle landing gear configuration

substantially improved the ground handling
characteristics of modern airplanes.

FIXED OR RETRACTABLE LANDING

GEAR

All aircraft must contend with

two types of aerodynamic
drag, parasite drag, which is
produced by the friction of
the airflow over the structure
and induced drag which is
caused by the production of
the lift.

 Parasite drag increases as

the speed increases, while
induced drag decreases as
the speed increases
because of the lower angle
of attack required to
produce the needed lift.

 Slower aircraft lose little

efficiency by using the lighterweight fixed landing gear.
Faster aircraft retract the
landing gear into the structure
and thus gain efficiency even at
the cost of slightly more weight.

 Fixed landing gear decreases

parasitic drag markedly by
enclosing the wheels in
streamlined fairings, called wheel
pants. Many light airplanes utilize
fixed landing gear that consist of
spring or tubular steel landing
gear legs with small frontal areas
that produce minimum drag.

SHOCK ABSORBING AND

NON-ABSORBING LANDING
GEAR
Some aircraft landing gear absorb
landing shock and some do not.
Non-absorbing gear include spring
steel, composite, rigid, and
bungee cord construction. Shock
absorbing gear incorporate shock
absorbers that converts motion
into some other form of energy,
usually heat.

SPRING STEEL AND COMPOSITES

Most aircraft provide for absorbing

the landing impact and shocks of
taxiing over rough ground. Some
aircraft, however, do not actually
absorb these shocks but rather
accept the energy in some form of
elastic medium and return it at a
rate and time that the aircraft can
accept.

 The most popular form of

landing gear that does this
is the spring steel gear
used on most of the singleengine Cessna aircraft.

 These airplanes use either a

flat steel leaf or a tubular
spring steel strut that
accepts the loads and
returns it in such a way that
it does not cause the aircraft
to rebound.

The thin spring-steel landing gear struts of this

airplane do not truly absorb the shocks, but rather
accept them and return them to the aircraft at a rate
that will not cause the aircraft to bounce.

RIGID GEAR

Certain older types of aircraft

use rigid landing gear that
transmit all the loads of
landing touchdown directly
to the airframe's structure.
Some of the shock is
absorbed by the elasticity of
the tires.

 However, this type of landing

gear system is not only hard on
the aircraft's occupants, but can
cause structural failure during a
hard landing. Some aircraft,
such as helicopters, that
normally land very softly utilize
rigid landing gear.

BUNGEE CORD
Some aircraft use rubber to cushion
the shock of landing. This may be in
the form of rubber doughnuts or as
a bungee cord, which is a bundle of
small strands of rubber encased in
a loosely woven cloth tube. Rubber
bungee cords accept both landing
impact and taxi shocks.

Fabric enclosed rubber bungee cords in

this landing gear accept both landing
impact and taxi shocks.

SHOCK STRUTS

The most widely used

shock absorber for aircraft
is the air-oil shock
absorber, more commonly
known as an oleo strut.

 The cylinder of this strut is

attached to the aircraft structure,
and a close fitting piston is free to
move up and down inside the
cylinder. It is kept in alignment
and prevented from coming out
of the cylinder by torsion links, or
scissors.

 The upper link is hinged to

the cylinder and the lower
link to the piston. The
wheel and axle are
mounted to the piston
portion of the strut.

The oleo strut has become the most widely

used form of shock absorber on aircraft
landing gear.

Shock Strut Operation

The cylinder of a shock strut is

divided into two
compartments by a piston
tube. The piston itself fits into
the cylinder around the tube.
A tapered metering pin, which
is a part of the piston, sticks
through a hole in the bottom
of the piston tube. To fill the
strut, the piston is pushed all
of the way into the cylinder.
The strut is then filled with
hydraulic fluid to the level of
the charging valve. With the
weight of the aircraft on the
wheel, enough compressed air
or nitrogen is pumped through
the charging valve to raise the

Servicing Shock Struts

The air-oil type oleo strut should be

maintained at proper strut tube
extensions for the best oleo action.
Both the nose and main gear struts
will have a specific length of piston
tube exposed. These measurements
should be taken with the airplane
sitting on a level surface under
normal fuel loading conditions.

 Whenever servicing any part of

the gear, wheels, and tires, the
shock strut should be inspected
for cleanliness, evidence of
damage, and proper amount of
extension. Manufacturer's repair
manuals should be consulted for
proper specifications.

For proper action, the strut tube must be in a position to travel in

both directions. The exact resting position for strut exposure can
be found in the manufacturer's service manual.

AIRCRAFT WHEELS

The wheels used on many

early aircraft were designed as
one-piece units. The tires were
flexible enough that they could
be forced over the wheel rim
with tire tools in much the
same way we force tires on
automobile wheels today.

 However, modern aircraft

tires are normally so stiff they
cannot be forced over the
rims, and, as a result, almost
all modern aircraft wheels are
constructed of two-piece
units.

 The development of tubeless tires

promoted the development of
two-piece wheels that are split in
the center and made airtight with
an O-ring seal placed between the
two halves. Today, this form of
wheel is the most popular for all
sizes of aircraft, from small
trainers up to large jet transports.

WHEEL CONSTRUCTION

Aircraft wheels must be

lightweight and strong. Most
wheels are made of either
aluminum or magnesium
alloys and, depending upon
their strength requirements,
may be either cast or forged.

 The bead seat area is the most

critical part of a wheel. To
increase wheel strength against
the surface tensile loads applied
by the tire, bead seat areas are
usually rolled to pre-stress their
surface with a compressive
stress.

INBOARD WHEEL HALF

The inboard wheel half is the half

of a two-piece wheel that houses
the brake. Rotating brake disks
are driven by tangs on the disk
which ride in steel-reinforced
keyways, or by steel keys bolted
inside the wheel that mate with
slots in the periphery of the disk.

 One or more fusible plugs are

installed in the inboard half of
the main wheels of jet aircraft to
release the air from the tire in
the event of an extreme
overheat condition, such as
heavy braking that is required
during an aborted takeoff.

OUTBOARD WHEEL HALF

The outboard half of the

wheel bolts to the inboard
half and holds a shrunk-in
bearing cup in which a
tapered bearing cone rides. A
seal protects the roller and
bearing surfaces from water
and dirt and retains the
lubricant in the bearing.

WHEEL INSPECTION

Whenever the maintenance

technician comes in contact with
the wheels, they should be
inspected. When the wheels are
on the aircraft, inspect for
general condition and proper
installation, which includes
checking for proper axle torque.

 When the wheel is off the

aircraft, more extensive
checks can be and are
performed. These on and off
aircraft checks include the
following checks and
procedures.

CHECK FOR PROPER INSTALLATION

It is possible with some

types of wheel and brake
assemblies that the wheel
can be installed with the
disk drive tangs between
the drive slots, rather than
mating with the slots.

 When inspecting the wheel

the technician must make
certain that the brake is
correctly installed and
everything is in its proper
place.

CHECK FOR AXLE NUT TORQUE

If too little torque is used on the axle

nut, it is possible for the bearing cup
to become loose and spin, enlarging
its hole and requiring a rather
expensive repair to the wheel. If the
torque is too high, the bearing can
be damaged because the lubricant
will be forced out from between the
mating surfaces.

 The amount of torque

required varies with the
installation. Follow
procedures used for installing
and securing the axle nut
that are recommended by the
airframe manufacturer.

LOOSENING THE TIRE FROM THE RIM

Before a wheel can be inspected, the tire

must be removed.
Before loosening the wheel half retaining
bolts, BE SURE THE TIRE IS COMPLETELY
DEFLATED. It is also advisable to deflate
the tire before removing the wheel/tire
assembly from the axle. In the event that
the bolts holding the wheel halves have
failed, the only thing holding the
assembly together is the axle nut.

 After the tire has been deflated, the

bead of the tire should be broken
from the wheel by applying an even
pressure to the tire as close to the
wheel as possible. Screwdrivers or
any type of tire tool should never be
used to pry the bead away from the
rim, because it is easy to nick or
damage the soft wheel in the critical
bead area. Any damage here will
cause a stress concentration that can

The bead of the tire should be broken away from the bead seat of
the wheel with a steady pressure as near the rim of the wheel as
possible.

DISASSEMBLY OF THE WHEEL

The wheel should be placed on a

clean, flat surface and the
bearing seals and cones
removed from both wheel halves.
The nuts from the wheel bolts
are removed to separate the
wheel halves. Impact wrenches
are not used on aircraft wheels.

 Even though it is common

practice with automotive wheels
to use impact wrenches for
speed, the uneven torque
produced by these wrenches
creates stresses these lightweight
wheels are not designed to take.

CLEANING THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY

Stoddard solvent or similar

cleaning fluid should be used
to remove any grease or dirt
from the wheel. A soft bristle
brush will aid in removing
stubborn deposits.

 Do not use scrapers that will

remove any of the protective
finish from the wheel. After all
of the parts have been
cleaned, they should be dried
with compressed air.

CLEANING THE BEARINGS

Clean solvent should be used to wash
the wheel bearings. Soak them to
soften the grease and any hardened
deposits in the bearings, then brush
them with a soft bristle brush to
remove all of the residue. Dry the
bearings by blowing them out with
low-pressure dry compressed air.

 DO NOT SPIN THE BEARINGS AS YOU

DRY THEM. Rotating dry metal
against dry metal will damage both
the rollers and the races. Bearings
should never be cleaned with
steam, because the heat and excess
oxygen will cause a premature
breakdown of the bearing surface.

BEARING INSPECTION
If a bearing is difficult to remove
from the axle shaft, it should be
removed with a special puller. It
should never be driven from the
shaft with any form of drift.
Bearings that have been difficult
to remove from the shaft often
have indications of galling on
their inner bore, which is cause
for rejection of the bearing cone.

 Water stains on a bearing may

not look bad, but they are an
indication of intergranular
corrosion in the surface of the
rollers or the races. Any
bearing showing signs of water
marks should be rejected.

Water stains on a bearing are evidence of

intergranular corrosion.

Spalling, or failure of the bearing surface, is

reason to reject the bearing.

These bearings have been

overheated.

BEARING LUBRICATION

Bearings should be packed using

the grease specified by the
aircraft manufacturer. MIL-G81322D is the most recently
developed type of lubrication and
has superior qualities to
previously developed lubrications.

 Not all brands of MIL

specification grease are the
same color, but those having
the same specification
number are compatible and
interchangeable, regardless
of their color.

INSPECTING THE WHEEL HALVES

The most difficult area of an

aircraft wheel to inspect is the
bead seat region. This area,
which is highly stressed by the
inflated tire, can be distorted or
cracked by a hard landing or a
seriously overinflated tire.

 When all of the forces are removed

and the tire dismounted, these
cracks may close up so tightly,
especially on forged wheels, that
penetrant cannot enter the crack.
This makes any form of penetrant
inspection useless for examination
of the bead seat area.

The bead seat area of a wheel assembly is the most

difficult area of a wheel to inspect. Eddy current
inspection is a type of inspection that can reliably
find cracks in this area

Cracks in the disk drive area of the wheel can be

inspected by penetrant type inspection because
cracks in this area have no tendency to close.

Corrosion is likely to occur anywhere that

water can be trapped against the surface of
the wheel.

WHEEL BOLT INSPECTION

The wheel bolts should be inspected

by magnetic particle inspection. Pay
particular attention to the junction
of the head and shank, and to the
end of the threaded area. Because
the cross-sectional area of the shank
changes at these two locations,
these are the most likely locations
for cracks to form.

FUSIBLE PLUG INSPECTION

Carefully examine the condition
of the fusible plugs in the wheel
to be sure that none of them
show any sign of the core
melting. Even if only one of the
plugs indicates any deformation,
all of the plugs must be replaced.

Fusible plugs should be inspected for signs

of softening due to excessive heat.

BALANCE WEIGHTS

Almost all wheels having a

diameter of more than ten inches
are statically balanced when they
are manufactured. If the weights,
installed by the manufacturer,
have been removed for any
reason, they must be put back in
their original position.

 The final balancing of the wheel is

done after the tire is mounted. The
weights for this final balancing are
usually installed around the
outside of the rim of the wheel or
at the wheel bolt circle.

Wheel balancing is done statically at

manufacture and the weights must be
returned to their original positions if
removed for any reason.

NOSE WHEEL STEERING SYSTEMS

Nose wheel steering is found on

most tricycle gear aircraft. On
small aircraft the nose wheel is
usually controlled by a direct
connection between the rudder
pedals and the nose gear. Large
aircraft steering is usually
activated by a hydraulic actuator
that is controlled by the rudder
pedals or by a separate steering

SMALL AIRCRAFT
Almost all airplanes with tricycle
landing gear utilize some type of nosewheel steering on the ground by
controlling the nose wheel. Some of
the smallest airplanes, however, have
a castering nose wheel. In these
cases, differential braking does the
steering. Other small airplanes link the
nose wheel to the rudder pedals
directly.

LARGE AIRCRAFT
Large aircraft are steered on the
ground by directing hydraulic
pressure into the cylinders of dual
shimmy dampers. A control wheel
operated by the pilot directs fluid
under pressure into one or the other
of the steering cylinders. The actual
control of the fluid can be
transmitted from the pilot's control to
the hydraulic control unit
mechanically, electrically or

The nose wheel steering system for a large aircraft consists of

actuators, control valves and other associated components
typically found in most hydraulic systems.

SHIMMY DAMPERS
The shimmy damper is a small hydraulic
shock absorber that is installed between
the nose-wheel fork and the nose-wheel
cylinder.
Shimmy dampers are normally small
piston-type hydraulic cylinders that
control the bleed of fluid between the two
sides of the piston. The restricted flow
prevents rapid movement of the piston,
but has no effect on normal steering.

A shimmy damper reduces the rapid oscillations of the

nose wheel, yet it allows the wheel to be turned by the
steering system.

STEERING DAMPERS
In many cases, the steering
actuators serve as the steering
dampers because they are constantly
charged with hydraulic fluid under
pressure. As the nose wheel
attempts to vibrate or shimmy, these
cylinders prevent movement of the
nose gear. This type of system is
used on large aircraft while a piston
type shimmy damper is usually used
on small aircraft.

LANDING GEAR ALIGNMENT, SUPPORT AND RETRACTION

In order for the wheels to do their

part in supporting the aircraft, there
must be a structure that connects the
wheels to the aircraft. This structure
is the landing gear. The landing gear
must be accurately aligned, provide
adequate support for the aircraft at
any design gross weight, and allow
the wheels to retract if necessary.

WHEEL ALIGNMENT
Alignment of the main gear wheels is
very important in that misalignment
adversely affects landing and takeoff, roll characteristics, tire wear, and
steering during ground operations.
Severe misalignment can cause
malfunction and failure of some of
the major components of the landing
gear system.

 Alignment consists of checking and

adjusting the toe-in or toe-out
configuration and the camber of the
gear. The aircraft maintenance
manual normally specifies the
amount of toe-in and camber the
landing gear should have. The
torque links are also very important
in the alignment of the landing gear.

The torque links, sometimes called scissors, limit the

extension of the oleo strut and keep the wheel in
alignment.

 As an aircraft moves forward

in a toe-in arrangement, the
wheels try and move closer
together. A toe-out
configuration causes the
wheels to try and move apart.

 In order to measure toe-in, a

carpenter's square is held against a
straightedge placed across the front
of the main wheels. The straightedge
should be perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis of the aircraft. If this
is correct, then the distance between
the blade of the carpenter's square
and the front and rear flanges of the
wheel will indicate toe-in or toe-out.

One method of checking the toe-in or toe-out of an airplane

landing gear utilizes a straightedge and a carpenter's square.

This illustration shows the shims used to align the main landing gear
on a spring steel landing gear strut. Toe-in is adjusted on spring steel
landing gear by placing shims between the axle and the gear leg.

On landing gear using an oleo-type shock absorber, toe-in is

adjusted by adding or removing washers from between the
torque links.

SUPPORT

The landing gear is generally

supported by the aircraft's
structure. The wings spars, along
with additional structural
members, support and attach
the main landing gear to the
wings on larger aircraft.

 Non-retractable landing gear

is generally attached to the
aircraft structure by bolting
the landing gear struts to the
structure directly.

 Retractable landing gear systems

must provide for the landing gear
to move, so the upper shock strut
is attached to the airframe using
trunnion fittings, which are
extensions or shafts attached to
the shock strut that mount into
fittings bolted to the airframe.

SMALL AIRCRAFT RETRACTION SYSTEMS

When the design speed of an aircraft becomes

high enough that the parasite drag of fixed
landing gear is greater than the induced drag
caused by the added weight of the retracting
system, retractable landing gear becomes
practical. Some smaller aircraft use a simple
mechanical retraction system, incorporating a
roller chain and sprockets operated by a hand
crank. Many aircraft use electric motors to drive
the landing gear retracting mechanism and
some European-built aircraft use pneumatic
systems.

 The simplest hydraulic landing

gear system uses a hydraulic
power pack containing the
reservoir, a reversible electric
motor-driven pump, selector
valve, and sometimes an
emergency hand pump along
with other special valves.

This simple landing gear system for small aircraft has an added feature of
an airspeed controlled automatic landing gear extension system. At a
certain airspeed, the landing gear will automatically extend regardless of
gear handle position.

 An additional feature of this

particular landing gear system is the
automatic extension system that will
lower the landing gear when the
airspeed slows below a specified
value, regardless of the position of
the landing gear selector.

 A diaphragm actuated by the

difference in pitot, or ram, air
pressure and static, or still air,
pressure controls the free-fall
valve. An airspeed pickup tube
on the side of the fuselage brings
pitot and static pressure into the
automatic extension valve.

LARGE AIRCRAFT RETRACTION SYSTEMS

The actual system for retracting

and extending the landing gear
on large aircraft is similar to that
just described. However, there
are several additional features
and components used because
of the size and complexity of the
system.

 Normally, large aircraft have

wheel-well doors that are closed
at all times the landing gear is
not actually moving up or down.
Sequence valves are used in the
system to ensure the doors are
opened before the landing gear
is actuated.

EMERGENCY EXTENSION SYSTEMS

Retractable landing gear systems

must have a means of lowering
the landing gear if the primary
method of lowering the gear fails.
Because there are many methods
used to actuate the landing gear,
this discussion will be general in
nature.

 Emergency extension systems

generally use a variety of
methods to lower the gear. Some
of the methods can include
mechanical, alternate hydraulic,
compressed air or free-fall
techniques to lower the gear. In
all cases, the emergency
extension system's purpose is to
release the up-locks and move

LANDING GEAR SAFETY DEVICES

SAFETY SWITCH

Most aircraft with retractable

landing gear are equipped
with a means of preventing
the retraction of the landing
gear while the aircraft is on
the ground.

 The landing gear would retract if the

aircraft's hydraulic system was
powered and the gear handle was
moved to the up position. To prevent
this from happening, a squat switch
with a lever attached prevents the
gear control handle from being
placed in the up position when there
is weight on the aircraft wheels.

GROUND LOCKS
Ground locks are used to secure
the landing gear in the down
position. These locks are generally
removed manually by ground
personnel. Ground locks are placed
into position after the aircraft lands
and are kept engaged until the
aircraft is ready for the next flight.

 The locks generally consist of

a pin inserted into the
retraction mechanism in such
a manner to block the
retraction of the landing gear.

GEAR INDICATORS

Position indicators, generally

located close to the landing
gear lever, include green gear
down and locked lights, a red
gear door open light, and red a
gear disagreement light, but
may use a red gear unsafe/in
transit light.

 Smaller airplanes do not use gear

door open lights. Generally when
the gear is up and locked, all the
lights will go out signaling that
the gear is up and locked.
Switches or proximity probes at
each gear position control the
lights in the cockpit.

NOSEWHEEL CENTERING

The nose wheel is equipped

with centering cams located in
the nose wheel shock strut.
These centering cams center
the nose wheel when the strut
is extended after take-off.

 The nose gear will remain

centered until the weight of the
aircraft, upon landing, compresses
the strut moving the centering
cams away from their slots. This
allows the wheel to turn as
commanded by the steering tiller
or the rudder pedals.

LANDING GEAR RETRACTION CHECK

Landing gear retraction checks

are performed as a part of
hundred-hour and annual
inspections. They are also
performed after replacement of
landing gear components or after
an event that could damage the
gear such as a hard landing.