Airplane main landing gear assembly

摘要

A main landing gear assembly for an airplane includes a set of landing wheels journalled to a shock-absorber strut. The shock strut and wheels are swingably attached to the wing structure by a pair of trunnion bearings for lateral swinging movement between an extended position wherein the wheels depend downwardly from the wing for taxiing or landing of the airplane and a retracted position wherein the wheels and shock strut are swung inwardy and upwardly into a wheel bay in the airplane fuselage. The shock strut is braced in the extended position by a foldable drag strut and a foldable side strut, each strut attached at an intermediate position on the shock strut. The foldable struts and the trunnion bearings provide a four-point support configuration which allows a net reduction in aircraft weight due to improved distribution of drag and static loads into the wing/body structure.