Aircraft assembly

An aircraft landing gear assembly comprising:

• a first body configured to attach to an aircraft or aircraft landing gear structure, the first body having a respective first side, a respective second side and a respective bearing face extending between the respective first side and the respective second side;
• a second body having, at a first end thereof, a respective first side, a respective second side and a respective bearing face extending between the respective first side and the respective second side, the second body being positioned relative to the first body such that the respective bearing faces are adjacent to one another and the respective first side of each body is closer to the respective first side of the other body than it is to the respective second side of the other body;
• and
• a flexible coupling arranged to limit separation of the bearing faces while permitting relative rotational movement between the bodies in a movement plane so as to define a joint between the first body and the second body, the flexible coupling comprising:
• one or more first flexible straps arranged in a first configuration in which the first flexible straps are attached to the first side of the first body and attached to the second side of the second body;
• and
• one or more second flexible straps arranged in a second configuration in which the second flexible straps are attached to the second side of the first body and attached to the first side of the second body, the first flexible straps and the second flexible straps being arranged in parallel across the joint;
• wherein each bearing face has a respective planar central portion that is flanked on either side by a respective curved end region that extends away from the opposite body to define a respective convex outer rolling surface, and the joint is configured such that:
• the respective planar central portions react compressive loads along the first body and the second body when the first body and the second body are aligned,
• the respective convex outer rolling surfaces of the first body react loads applied to them by the second body during the rotational movement between the bodies in the movement plane, and
• the respective convex outer rolling surfaces of the second body react loads applied to them by the first body during the rotational movement between the bodies in the movement plane,
• such that a point of contact between the first body and the second body moves along curves of the respective curved end regions during the rotational movement between the bodies in the movement plane.

An aircraft landing gear assembly comprising:

• a first body configured to attach to an aircraft or aircraft landing gear structure, the first body having a respective first side, a respective second side and a respective bearing face extending between the respective first side and the respective second side;
• a second body having, at a first end thereof, a respective first side, a respective second side and a respective bearing face extending between the respective first side and the respective second side, the second body being positioned relative to the first body such that the respective bearing faces are adjacent to one another and the respective first side of each body is closer to the respective first side of the other body than it is to the respective second side of the other body;
• and
• a single hinged joint connecting the first body to the second body, the single hinged joint being pivotable about a single axis and comprising a flexible coupling arranged to limit separation of the bearing faces while permitting relative rotational movement between the bodies in a movement plane so as to define a joint between the first body and the second body, the flexible coupling comprising:
• one or more first flexible straps arranged in a first configuration in which the first flexible straps are attached to the first side of the first body and attached to the second side of the second body;
• and
• one or more second flexible straps arranged in a second configuration in which the second flexible straps are attached to the second side of the first body and attached to the first side of the second body, the first flexible straps and the second flexible straps being arranged in parallel across the joint;
• wherein each bearing face has a respective planar central portion that is flanked on either side by a respective curved end region that extends away from the opposite body to define a respective convex outer rolling surface, and the joint is configured such that:
• the respective planar central portions react compressive loads along the first body and the second body when the first body and the second body are aligned,
• the respective convex outer rolling surfaces of the first body react loads applied to them by the second body during the rotational movement between the bodies in the movement plane, and
• the respective convex outer rolling surfaces of the second body react loads applied to them by the first body during the rotational movement between the bodies in the movement plane,
• such that a point of contact between the first body and the second body moves along curves of the respective curved end regions during the rotational movement between the bodies in the movement plane.