Amphibious aircraft, landing gear, and method
AssigneeE.B. Robinson Ltd.
InventorEric Brian Robinson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An amphibious aircraft has a tricycle landing gear that is fixed. Each member of the landing gear is protected in the forward direction by a hydrodynamic protector, or vane, or shoe, such as may tend to create lift when brought into engagement with water, as during landing. The landing gear protector vanes may be mounted to move with extension and retraction of the landing gear. The landing gear wheels protrude to extend partially downwardly proud of the sole of the shoe. The shoes may include sacrificial wear members for ground engagement.
Claims12
A flying boat amphibian aircraft having landing gear, said landing gear including at least a first fixed landing gear, wherein said first fixed landing gear includes at least a fixed main landing gear and said fixed main landing gear includes at lease one resiliently mounted landing gear;
- said aircraft has at least a first water-riding member mounted to extend forwardly of said first fixed landing gear;
- and said first water-riding member is mounted to deflect when said first fixed landing gear deflects.
A flying-boat amphibious aircraft, comprising:
- a fuselage having a water-riding hull having a bow and a stern;
- said hull of said fuselage having laterally outboard sponsons;
- said sponsons having respective landing gear mounted thereto;
- said landing gear including, respectively, a wheel for rolling contact with a landing surface, and a deflector;
- said deflector defining a water-riding housing extending forwardly of said wheel;
- said deflector has an accommodation in which said wheel is mounted;
- said wheel extending partially downwardly proud of said deflector;
- said wheel and said deflector being mounted to move together, with said wheel protruding partially downwardly proud of said deflector;
- and
- said landing gear being a single position landing gear.
A flying-boat amphibious aircraft having:
- a wheeled landing gear for landing on a landing field, said wheeled landing gear being a fixed gear having a range of motion between an unloaded position and a fully loaded position;
- said landing gear being mounted within, and extending partially downwardly proud of, a movable landing gear housing that defines a water-engaging surface forwardly and laterally of said landing gear;
- and
- when said landing gear moves within said range of motion, said landing gear housing and said landing gear move together, with said landing gear extending partially downwardly proud thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.