Method of protecting an aircraft landing gear while the aircraft is being towed, and pin for coupling a towing bar to an orientable lower part of a landing gear

摘要

A method of protecting an aircraft undercarriage (1) while it is being towed by means of a tow bar (13) hitched to a steerable bottom portion of the undercarriage, the method including the step of generating an alarm when a towing force imposed by the tow bar on the undercarriage reaches or exceeds a predetermined force threshold. The threshold is caused to vary as a function of an orientation of the steerable bottom portion of the undercarriage.

主权项

1. A pin for coupling a tow bar to a steerable bottom portion of an undercarriage having a pivot axis that is inclined relative to the vertical, wherein the pin comprises:
means for measuring the forces to which the pin is subjected; means for measuring the angle of inclination of the pin relative to the horizontal; means for calculating a force threshold as a function of the orientation of the bottom portion of the undercarriage as deduced from the angle of inclination of the pin; and means for comparing a measured force with the force threshold and for generating an alarm if the measured forces reach or exceed a force threshold.