Understanding Your Undercarriage

With the possible exception of a hot-air balloon, no matter what kind of aircraft you fly—airplane, glider, helicopter or blimp—it has an undercarriage of some sort, used when it’s on the ground. The component(s) actually resting on the ground can be tires, skids, floats or skis, but they’re attached to the airframe via the undercarriage. In turn, the undercarriage can be fixed, retractable or a mix (e.g., the main gear retracts while the tailwheel doesn’t). And just as there are a seemingly endless number of airframe configurations, undercarriages come in many different flavors.

Key Takeaways:

• Aircraft undercarriages are essential for ground operations, coming in diverse forms like wheels, skids, or floats, and configurations such as fixed, retractable, or mixed, with their functionality crucial for safe operation and maintenance.
• The article details two main land-based undercarriage designs: conventional (taildragger), which is lighter and simpler but susceptible to groundloops, and tricycle, offering greater stability and visibility but with increased weight and more fragile nose gear components.
• Fixed undercarriages are simpler, lighter, and require less maintenance, while retractable systems offer a speed advantage by reducing drag but add complexity, weight, higher maintenance costs, and the risk of gear-up landings.

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