A Study of Design Conditions for Tricycle Landing Gears

SO M E design conditions t ha t will permit the inherent safety features of the tricycle landing gear to be more or less fully utilized are set forth. The paper covers the definitions of the landing conditions, reasons for the choice of certain values, and includes incidental references to the application of the conditions in determining the structural loads. The proposed conditions are based on vertical velocities, rates of drift, pitching motion, etc., t ha t have been observed in landing tests or t ha t seem likely from particular experiences with conventional landing gears. In addition, the probable use and method of operation of different classes of airplane have been considered. The ult imate criterions, however, must await further experience with the tricycle landing gear and fullscale tests of the loads developed under operating conditions.