Retractable undercarriage for small aircraft - uses fibre reinforced plastics struts as leaf-springs which also act as shock absorbers

摘要

The outriggers on which the wheels are mounted are supported in the centre of the fuselage on support struts (6) which are mounted on hinges and which can be swung inward. The hinge points (3) of the outriggers are moved up, when the support struts are swung in, so that the whole of the undercarriage structure can be brought within the contour (11) of the fuselage. When the undercarriage is swung out, the link points of the outriggers are locked in position. The outriggers can be made from fibre reinforced resin so that they can act at the same time as shock absorbing springs.