When should the landing gear be retracted?

Normally, the landing gear is retracted after lift-off when the airplane has reached an altitude where, in the event of an engine failure or other emergency requiring an aborted takeoff, the airplane could no longer be landed on the runway.

Why do pilots land gear up?

The most common cause of gear-up landings is the pilot simply forgetting to extend the landing gear before touchdown. On any retractable gear aircraft, lowering the landing gear is part of the pilot’s landing checklist, which also includes items such as setting the flaps, propeller and mixture controls for landing.

What methods can be used to power retractable landing gear?

Retractable Landing Gear Functionality: A similar process occurs during gear extension. The pump which pressurizes the fluid in the system can be either engine driven or electrically powered. If using an electrically powered pump to pressurize the fluid, the system is called an electro-hydraulic system.

What is one advantage of retractable landing gear over fixed landing?

The most often quoted benefit of retractable gear is better performance, and cleaning up the underwing does reduce drag and allow the aircraft to climb and cruise faster.

At what altitude do you lower landing gear?

six to five miles out
Most aircraft are typically at 10 knots at five miles out depending on the aircraft in route. This gives the pilot enough time to get off the runway. At six to five miles out is typically when the landing gear is dropped.

What helps control oscillations of the nose gear?

A shimmy damper helps control oscillations of the nose gear. Nose gear struts are often equipped with a locking or disconnect pin to enable quick turning of the aircraft while towing or positioning the aircraft when on the ramp or in a hangar.

What is the difference between skids and retractable?

It really depends on the primary use of the helicopter; if you are logging, skids make sense because you can lift larger loads and are more concerned with hovering performance. If the primary mission is medevac or air transport, retractable wheels allow greater speed and increased fuel economy over long distances.

How far out do pilots lower the landing gear?

six to five miles

What are the characteristics of a good landing gear?

The landing gear should occupy minimum volume in order to reduce the stowage space requirement in the aircraft. Further, weight should be at minimum to increase the performance of the aircraft. The service life of the landing gears should be same as that of the aircraft.

How is the landing gear tested after installation?

The final integration tests of the landing gear are carried out after installation on the aircraft followed by taxi tests, braking and steering tests. Fine tuning of certain design parameters are done during this phase. This is followed by flight testing phase where the capability of the landing gear is evaluated.

Which software is used in the design of landing gear?

Many commercially available CAD/ CAM/CAE/CFD and Dynamic Simulation software tools are used in the design and development of landing gear. These tools have helped in virtual product development of landing gear before actual prototype is being fabricated. These help to improve designs with reduced cycle time and cost.