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What device prevents the landing gear from being retracted while the aircraft is on the ground?
Ground locks
Ground locks are used in landing gear as extra insurance that the landing gear will remain locked in position while the aircraft is on the ground. A ground lock is an external device that is placed in the retraction mechanism to prevent its movement.
What controls the brake system of nose landing?
The main landing gear brakes are controlled by the commander or pilot applying toe pressure to the rudder pedals; electrical signals produced by rudder pedal toe pressure control hydraulic servovalves at each wheel and allow hydraulic system pressure to perform braking.
How do airplane wheels retract?
To decrease drag in flight undercarriages retract into the wings and/or fuselage with wheels flush with the surrounding surface or concealed behind flush-mounted doors; this is called retractable gear. The landing gear is stowed in a compartment called a wheel well.
What airplane has the most wheels?
The A380—with its 22 tires—may seem like the record holder for number of wheels, but there is an airplane out there that employs more. The gigantic Ukrainian Antonov An-225 cargo jet uses 32 wheels to spread out its immense 1.4 million pounds. This airplane is extremely rare, as only one was ever built.
Why does the nose wheel spin when retracting?
It also doesn’t hurt that a heavy brake stack will close up under gravity as the wheels are turned horizontal during retract. The nose wheels are free to spin up into the wheel well, where they contact a friction brake that drags on the tires; slowing and stopping nose wheel spin.
What happens to the spinning wheels after takeoff, before retraction?
Most aircraft have rubber brake pads (snubbers) fitted in the nose gear bay that stop the spinning of the gear once the wheels are retracted. These are the “nose wheel spin brake linings” (the braking pads) that stop the spinning of the nose wheel after retraction. I fly retracts and have heard this question a dozen times.
What was the cause of the nose wheel explosion?
After replacing the left nose landing gear tire, the wheel exploded as the tire was being inflated using a high-pressure gas bottle. The ground service person was killed. While servicing a nose wheel/tire assembly using a high-pressure dry air bottle, the wheel exploded.
Why do aircraft tires have to be maintained?
Aircraft tires must be carefully maintained to perform as required. They accept a variety of static and dynamic stresses and must do so dependably in a wide range of operating conditions.