Aircraft landing gear and a locking mechanism therefor

A method of locking an aircraft landing gear using a locking assembly, the landing gear comprising a bogie and a steerable axle pivotally mounted on the bogie, wherein the locking assembly comprises a pair of spaced-apart stationary bearing pads associated with the axle and a lock member associated with the bogie, the lock member having a guide surface on either side, the guide surface comprising a first inclined portion and a second inclined portion, the method comprising the steps of:

• moving the lock member from an unlocked position in which the lock member is disengaged from the bearing pads such that pivotal movement of the axle with respect to the bogie can occur, towards a locked position in which the lock member is located in the space between the bearing pads such that the lock member engages the bearing pads to prevent pivotal movement of the steerable axle with respect to the bogie, wherein the bearing pads remain stationary between the locked and unlocked positions, and
• while the lock member is moving from the unlocked position towards the locked position, bringing the lock member and the bearing pads into alignment using the guide surface, the step of bringing the lock member and the bearing pads into alignment comprising
• a first stage of alignment produced by the interaction of the bearing pads and the first inclined portions, followed by
• a second stage of alignment produced by the interaction of the bearing pads and the second inclined portions.