Landing gear strut extender
AssigneeHydro-Aire, Inc.
InventorGarrett H. DeVlieg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mechanism for increasing the ride height of aircraft by selectively increasing the hydraulic fluid content within landing gear struts. By increasing the hydraulic fluid volume within a strut, the strut is lengthened without adversely affecting its spring rate while the ability to withdraw fluid from a strut maintains the ability of the strut to absorb the impact of landing. The mechanism is readily retrofitable to existing landing gear systems to accommodate more efficient under the wing intake designs and to reduce the likelihood of FOD during taxiing at minimal cost and with very a minimal increase in the aircraft weight.
Claims17
A strut for supporting an aircraft while on the ground, comprising:
- a cylinder;
- a piston slidably received in said cylinder;
- a compressible gas contained in said cylinder;
- an incompressible fluid contained in said cylinder;
- and
- a mechanism for selectively increasing or decreasing the amount of incompressible fluid in said cylinder from on board said aircraft to lengthen or shorten said strut.
A strut for supporting an aircraft while on the ground, comprising:
- a cylinder;
- a piston slidably received in said cylinder;
- a compressible material for supporting said piston within said piston subject to a preselected spring rate;
- a mechanism for extending said piston from said cylinder without affecting said spring rate.
A method of increasing an aircraft's ride height while on the ground, said aircraft being supported by landing gear with extendible struts, comprising the steps of:
- disposing a reservoir with hydraulic fluid on said aircraft;
- providing pumps for pumping said hydraulic fluid from said reservoir into said extendible struts when increased ride height is desired.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.