Disclosed is an arrangement in which the main landing gear assemblies of a large commercial airplane are each joined to the airplane at four attachment points. Two of the attachment points connect the landing gear side brace and drag brace to the airplane. The two remaining attachment points are aft and forward trunnions that are mounted to the airplane wing. The aft trunnion pivotally connects one side of the landing gear shock strut to the airplane and carries both vertical and torsional loading. The forward trunnion is pivotally connected to the other side of the shock strut by a trunnion link. An actuator is coupled between the shock strut and the trunnion link. When the landing gear is down and locked the actuator is not activated and the trunnion link does not have the rigidity and stiffness required to transfer vertical loads to the forward trunnion. When the actuator is activated, the combination of the actuator and trunnion link rigidly interconnects the shock strut with the forward trunnion so that four point mounting stabilization is present during landing gear retraction, extension and stowage.
Health Monitoring Of Aircraft Landing Gear Mechanical Structures
Methods and systems are provided that facilitate the maintenance of levered landing gears by monitoring the condition of the stop pads of such landing gears. One embodiment provides for calibrating a sensor for measuring a condition of a stop joint formed by a first stop pad and a second stop pad of a levered landing gear against a nominal condition of at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad; monitoring, by the sensor, a current condition of the at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad from the nominal condition; determining whether a non-conformance from the nominal condition of the at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad has been detected by the sensor for the current condition; and in response to determining that the non-conformance has been detected, generating an alert.
Health Monitoring Of Aircraft Landing Gear Mechanical Structures
Methods and systems are provided that facilitate the maintenance of levered landing gears by monitoring the condition of the stop pads of such landing gears. One embodiment provides for calibrating a sensor for measuring a condition of a stop joint formed by a first stop pad and a second stop pad of a levered landing gear against a nominal condition of at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad; monitoring, by the sensor, a current condition of the at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad from the nominal condition; determining whether a non-conformance from the nominal condition of the at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad has been detected by the sensor for the current condition; and in response to determining that the non-conformance has been detected, generating an alert.
Health Monitoring Of Aircraft Landing Gear Mechanical Structures
- Chicago IL, US Mark N. SIMPSON - Kirkland WA, US Roland HINTON - Renton WA, US Naveed HUSSAIN - Palos Verdes Peninisula CA, US
International Classification:
B64F 5/60 G06K 9/00 B64C 25/00 G01B 11/14
Abstract:
Methods and systems are provided that facilitate the maintenance of levered landing gears by monitoring the condition of the stop pads of such landing gears. One embodiment provides for calibrating a sensor for measuring a condition of a stop joint formed by a first stop pad and a second stop pad of a levered landing gear against a nominal condition of at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad; monitoring, by the sensor, a current condition of the at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad from the nominal condition; determining whether a non-conformance from the nominal condition of the at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad has been detected by the sensor for the current condition; and in response to determining that the non-conformance has been detected, generating an alert.