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7 Undercarriage

7.1 Overview

Chapter 6 illustrates how to arrive at a preliminary aircraft configuration of a new project starting from scratch, with the expectancy of satisfying the market specification. To progress further, the next task is to lay out the undercarriage (also known as the landing gear) position relative to the aircraft CG, which is accurately established in Chapter 8. This chapter addresses the undercarriage quite extensively but not the detailed design; rather, it focuses on those aspects related to undercarriage layout and sizing during the conceptual study phase. More details on undercarriage design are in the cited references.

This chapter first introduces the undercarriage to serve vehicle ground handling, followed by basic definitions, terminologies, and information used in the design process and integration with an aircraft. Finally, methodologies for layout of the undercarriage and tire sizing are presented to complete the aircraft configuration generated thus far. Considerable attention is required to lay out the undercarriage position and to determine tire size and geometric details to avoid hazards during operation. This book limits the topic to the fundamentals to the extent of the requirements for positioning the undercarriage and sizing the wheels and tires. These fundamentals are shown schematically in the three-view aircraft drawings. Relevant information on wheel tires is also presented in this chapter.

The undercarriage is a complex and heavy item and, therefore, expensive to manufacture. It should be made right the first time. Aircraft designers should know the operational basics, leaving the details to those who specialize in the undercarriage as a system that is integrated with an aircraft as a subsystem. Aircraft designers consult with undercarriage specialists during the conceptual stage.

The location of the aircraft CG is important in laying out the undercarriage. Initially, the CG position is guessed from statistics and past experience. Once the basics of the undercarriage are explained, Chapter 8 addresses aircraft weight estimation and CG location. An iterative assessment follows to revise the undercarriage positioning due to the differences, between the guessed and estimated CG location. The final iteration occurs after the aircraft is sized in Chapter 11.

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Undercarriage

The undercarriage, as a major component, creates a considerable amount of drag in its extended position during flight. Therefore, its retraction within the aircraft mould lines is necessary to minimize drag. Evolution shows that early designs of a tail-dragging type of undercarriage virtually disappeared and have been replaced by the nose-wheel tricycle type. It is interesting that the first nose wheeldesign undercarriage appeared in 1908 on a Curtiss aircraft. The blowout of tires during takeoff and landing is dangerous; the Concorde crash due to a tire bursting is extremely rare but designers must learn from that situation.

In the past, aircraft manufacturers handled the undercarriage design in a vertically integrated factory setup. Today, its complexity has created specialized organizations (e.g., Messier of France and Dowty of the United Kingdom) that are dedicated to undercarriage design, thereby making its management and integration more efficient and resulting in better designs. However, for smaller aircraft in the class of club and private use, manufacturers can make their own undercarriages, and most of them are of the fixed type.

7.1.1 What Is to Be Learned?

This chapter covers the following topics:

Section 7.2:

Introduction to the undercarriage as a system and its functions

Section 7.3:

Types of undercarriage

Section 7.4:

Undercarriage layout relative to the CG, nomenclature, and def-

 

initions

Section 7.5:

Undercarriage retraction and stowage issues

Section 7.6:

Undercarriage design drivers and considerations

Section 7.7:

Undercarriage performance on the ground – turning of an air-

 

craft

Section 7.8:

Types of wheel arrangements

Section 7.9:

Load on wheels, shock absorber, and deflection

Section 7.10:

Runway pavement types

Section 7.11:

Tire nomenclature, designation, and types

Section 7.12:

Tire friction with ground, rolling, and braking coefficients

Section 7.13:

Undercarriage layout methodologies

Section 7.14:

Worked-out examples

Section 7.15:

Miscellaneous considerations

Section 7.16:

Undercarriage and tire data

7.1.2 Coursework Content

Readers will make a comprehensive layout of the nose wheel-type tricycle undercarriage and position it to fit the aircraft configured in Chapter 6. The first task is to ensure that the layout is safe and satisfies all of its functionality. The wheel and tire are then sized to complete the layout. This section requires computational work when the aircraft CG position is still unknown. The author recommends that readers prepare spreadsheets for repeated calculations because iterations will ensue after the CG is established and the aircraft is sized.

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