Aircraft landing gear
AssigneeAirbus Operations GmbH
InventorsFraser WILSON, Benjamin BISHOP
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A trailing link landing gear (6) has a main arm (20) which extends from a proximal end (22) attachable to an aircraft (2) to a distal end (24), and a trailing arm (30) which extends from a pivotable connection at the distal end (24) of the main arm (20) to one or more wheels (39). A shock absorber (40) extends between the main arm (20) and the trailing arm (30). An adjustment member (50) mounted to one of the arms can be moved to move an end of the shock absorber (40) and thereby change the angle that the trailing arm (30) makes with the main arm (20). This, in turn, changes the height of the landing gear (6) and in doing so changes the angle of attack (10) of an aircraft (2) including the landing gear (6).
Claims27
A trailing link landing gear comprising:
- a main arm with a proximal end configured to connect to a body of an aircraft, and a distal end;
- a trailing arm pivotally coupled to the distal end of the main arm, the trailing arm having a proximal end and distal end configured to support one or more wheels;
- and
- a shock absorber having a proximal end connected to the main arm and a distal end connected to the trailing arm, the ends of the shock absorber being resiliently movable towards one another so as to damp pivoting of the trailing arm relative to the main arm,
- wherein an end of the shock absorber is coupled to the corresponding arm via an adjustment member which is movable relative to that arm between first and second positions, said movement of the adjustment member moving said end of the shock absorber relative to said arm and thereby allowing and/or driving the trailing arm to pivot relative to the main arm between corresponding first and second angles.
A trailing link landing gear comprising:
- a main arm with a mounting point configured to attach to a body of an aircraft;
- a trailing arm configured to support one or more wheels, the trailing arm being attached to the main arm and constrained for pivoting motion relative thereto;
- and
- an adjustment member attached to one of said main arm and said trailing arm, and the adjustment member is rotatable between a first position and a second position,
- wherein the trailing arm is displaceable by rotation of the adjustment member, and displacement of the trailing arm changes a distance between said one or more wheels and the mounting point of the main arm;
- wherein the adjustment member is rotatable through at least 45 degrees between the first position and the second position.
A method of taking off in an aircraft, the aircraft comprising a landing gear which comprises:
- a main arm with a proximal end connected to a body of the aircraft, and a distal end;
- a trailing arm pivotally coupled to the distal end of the main arm, the trailing arm having a proximal end, and a distal end for supporting one or more wheels;
- a shock absorber having a proximal end connected to the main arm and a distal end connected to the trailing arm, the ends of the shock absorber being resiliently movable towards one another so as damp pivoting of the trailing arm relative to the main arm;
- and
- an adjustment member arranged to couple an end of the shock absorber to the corresponding arm,
- wherein the method comprises:
- accelerating the aircraft to take-off speed;
- and
- moving the adjustment member from a second position to a first position to move said end of the shock absorber relative to said arm, thereby allowing and/or driving the trailing arm to pivot relative to the main arm from a second angle to a first angle and thus changing the angle of attack of the aircraft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.