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Why does the Boeing 737 have no landing gear doors?
Since the plane was deliberately designed to be low, there wasn’t enough space under the aircraft to accommodate wheel well doors for the main landing gear. If the 737 were to be equipped with landing gear bay doors, and they fail to close up before landing, things wouldn’t be good when the plane touches down.
How many tires does the 737 land gear have?
The Boeing 737 Classic series and the Boeing 737NG series of airplanes both deploy two nose landing gear tires and four main landing gear tires. The Dunlop tire for the Boeing 737NG are designed to be robust and dependable; exactly what is needed for this workhorse of the skies.
How much does a 737 tire cost?
A Boeing 737 main tire, of which there are four per aircraft, costs around $1,500 each, Mowry said, explaining that manufacturers can re-tread these tires up to three or four times to extend their lifetime.
How does the landing gear work on a 737?
Notice that none of the 737 series have ever had full main gear doors. Instead the outer wall of the tyres meet with aerodynamic seals in the wheel well to make a smooth surface along the underside of the aircraft.
Why do some commercial aircraft have no landing gear cover?
Almost all other airliners have doors that close off the rubber of the wheels, for example this B787. Why doesn’t the B737 have a cover on its landing gear? Yes, it does increase drag. Anything that is not smooth, where the air flow will be disturbed, will generate drag. The 737 was originally designed only for short haul and space is at a premium.
Is the B737 a worse landing gear?
The gear as such as is not worse off than normal landing gear. The B737 has wheel caps visible in your first photo to cover towards the outside, and is not allowed to fly without them. If icing had been a problem, the same concern would extend onto landing gear doors being frozen shut.
Is the B737 allowed to fly without wheel caps?
The B737 has wheel caps visible in your first photo to cover towards the outside, and is not allowed to fly without them. If icing had been a problem, the same concern would extend onto landing gear doors being frozen shut. Landing gears bays are unpressurised and very cold normally anyways.