Landing gear gets as little respect as that old comedian Rodney Dangerfield — not much, really, which is surprising when you consider that almost everyone seems to measure the quality of the flight by the smoothness of the touchdown. That final transition that turns a flying airplane into a taxiing one, even when the distance to the surface is just a few feet, can impose huge impact loads on an airplane if it’s not handled well, something that poses a challenge to designers. That’s why the landing gear is always so beefy. But even the sturdiest traditional landing gear design can’t cover up a botched flare that’s been known to smash passengers’ teeth together.
How It Works: Trailing-Link Landing Gear
Key Takeaways:
- Trailing-link landing gear functions as an advanced shock absorber, using an L-shaped lever and oleo strut to significantly smooth out impacts and improve landing quality compared to traditional straight-strut designs.
- This design makes landings more forgiving, increases the gear's strength, and simplifies maintenance, particularly the replacement of shock absorbers.
- Despite its advantages, trailing-link gear is generally heavier, has more moving parts to lubricate, and can complicate the gear retraction process.
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