Retractable self-aligning aircraft stablizer strut assembly and aircraft including the same

An aircraft comprising an on-board self-aligning strut stabilization assembly which is moveable between a retracted position wherein the strut stabilization assembly is housed within a strut bay of the aircraft, and an extended position wherein the strut stabilization assembly is in ground-engaging contact to stabilize an aft portion of the aircraft, wherein the strut stabilization assembly comprises:

• a main strut pivotally connected to supporting structure of the aircraft for pivotal movements between the extended and retracted positions thereof;
• a main strut door having a hinge which allows the main strut door to pivotally move between an open and closed conditions wherein the strut bay is exposed and covered in response to the main strut being pivotally moved between the extended and retracted positions thereof, respectively;
• a strut extension member operatively associated with the main strut for movements between a retracted state and a ground-engaging extended state;
• an actuator operatively connected to the main strut for moving the main strut and the strut extension member operatively associated therewith between the extended and retracted positions;
• and
• a pair of laterally separated double-acting spring-biased centering mechanisms each having one end pivotally attached to the hinge of the main strut door and an opposite end attached to the main strut, wherein
• the centering mechanisms each define a zero-spring bias load state corresponding to an aligned condition of the main strut such that a displacement of the main strut out of the aligned condition responsively causes at least one centering mechanism to exert a spring-biased load in an opposite direction of the displacement causing the at least one centering mechanism to return to the zero-spring bias load state thereby returning the main strut to the aligned condition thereof.