Did the Concorde have retractable landing gear?

Did the Concorde have retractable landing gear?

Concorde is equipped with a hydraulically operated retractable tricycle landing gear layout, with a nose gear consisting of two wheels and 2 main gears consisting of 4 wheels each. Concorde maximum permissible weight for the start of any ground manoeuvre is 186,880kgs and for the start of take-off 185,070kgs.

When should the landing gear be retracted after a normal takeoff?

Normally, the landing gear is retracted after lift-off when the airplane has reached an altitude where, in the event of an engine failure or other emergency requiring an aborted takeoff, the airplane could no longer be landed on the runway.

What is the purpose of an aircraft landing gear?

The purpose of the landing gear in an aircraft is to provide a suspension system during taxi, take-off and landing. It is designed to absorb and dissipate the kinetic energy of landing impact, thereby reducing the impact loads transmitted to the airframe.

How landing gear helps in stopping the aircraft after landing?

The pilot flying pulls back gently on the control column to slow the sink rate and flare for landing. The wheels touch down in a cloud of burnt rubber. The landing gear and wheels absorb the impact of the massive aircraft.

Why are debris deflectors not installed on modern aircraft?

Since it’s certain that debris deflectors would have stopped the piece of tyre that punctured Concorde’s fuel tanks in the fateful Air France 4590 disaster and caused an explosion, why are they not installed on most modern aircraft?

How is the landing gear on a Concorde different?

Concorde’s landing gear differs from those on other aircraft for several reasons: The nose gear is situated behind the flight deck, making taxing different to a normal aircraft and it also retracts forwards. The Main gears shorten during the retraction process, otherwise they would be too long to fit into the bays.

Can a landing gear deflector be used in an accident?

See 1.6.2.4 Deflectors – a different type of deflector but an illustration that deflectors may also contribute to accidents – if the debris is large enough. You can only be certain of the effectiveness of debris deflectors by actually testing with the relevant landing gear and identical debris at high speed.

What is the maximum weight of the Concorde?

Concorde maximum permissible weight for the start of any ground manoeuvre is 186,880kgs and for the start of take-off 185,070kgs. At the point of rotation, the main landing gear, which is literally the centre of rotation, is loaded up at 195kts as the rear end squats and the frontend is hauled off the runway.