GB508211A - Improvements relating to landing gear for aircraft - Google Patents

Abstract

508,211. Aircraft alighting - gear. GENERAL AIRCRAFT, Ltd., WILLIAMS, D. L. H., and CROCOMBE, F. F. Dec. 31, 1937, No. 36253. [Class 4] In an aircraft having landing-gear which includes main and nose elements so disposed, respectively rearward and forward of the centre of gravity of the aircraft so that the tail of the aircraft is maintained normally clear of the ground, a pair of nose elements are supported on mountings so that in both the extended and retracted positions of the elements a free space is left, within the fuselage, between either or both the elements and their mountings. In one form, laterally-spaced nose-wheels 14, mounted for example as described in Specification 505,109, are mounted on shockabsorbers 17 pivoted to the aircraft structure and to one element of a jack 21, for rearward extension and retraction, the other element of which is pivoted to the structure. In a modification during the final stage of retraction a pinion on the wheel-carrying member is adapted to engage a fixed rack to rotate the wheel about the axis of the shock-absorber. In a further form, the shock-absorbers are mounted in the aircraft on oblique axes so that, during forward retraction, the wheels swing inwardly and are turned to lie adjacent the fuselage contour. According to the Provisional Specification, the wheel may be retracted into wells provided with covers and may be steerable. Specifications 506,527 and 506,633 also are referred to.