Airplanes rely on landing gear for takeoffs and landings. It typically consists of a set of hydraulic-powered wheels. When landing, pilots will lower the airplane’s landing gear out of the undercarriage.
While most landing gear systems feature hydraulic-powered wheels, though, some of them use a different suspension system than others. Trailing-arm landing gear is characterized by its suspension system. What is trailing-arm landing gear exactly, and how does it work?
Overview of Trailing-Arm Landing Gear
Trailing-arm landing gear is a type of landing gear system that features an L-shaped strut and a shock-absorbing strut.
With an L-shaped strut and a shock-absorbing strut, trailing-arm landing gear offers smoother landings. It will absorb the shock of the airplane as it touches down on the runway. And even after landing, airplanes will roll more smoothly when taxiing if they feature trailing-arm landing gear. Trailing-arm landing gear simply consists of an L-shaped strut and a shock-absorbing strut.
How Trailing-Arm Landing Gear Works
Other types of landing gear systems typically only have a single strut. Trailing-arm landing gear systems, though, have two struts: an L-shaped strut and a straight shock-absorbing strut. The shock-absorbing strut is connected to the bottom part of the L-shaped strut.
The L-shaped strut in a trailing-arm landing gear system is designed to pivot. It will pivot in front of the wheel with which it’s used.
Shock-Absorbing Struts Explained
All trailing-arm landing gear systems feature shock-absorbing struts. Most of them use oleo struts to absorb shock.
Oleo struts are pneumatic-hydraulic struts that absorb shock. They contain both air and oil. Upon touching down on the runway, oleo struts will compress. This compression will force the air and oil inside of them to compress as well. The oleo struts will then absorb the shock of the landing.
Most oleo struts consist of the following components:
- Inner piston
- Outer tube
- Gas and air
- Seals
Most trailing-arm landing gear systems feature oleo struts. An oleo strut is simply a type of shock-absorbing strut that leverages both air and oil. They are commonly used in airplane landing gear systems, especially trailing-arm landing gear systems. Oleo struts will absorb shock in trailing-arm landing gear systems.
In Conclusion
Landing gear systems come in a variety of styles. Trailing-arm landing gear systems are those that feature an L-shaped strut and a straight shock-absorbing strut. The shock-absorbing strut used in their design typically consists of an oleo strut.
