A drag-reducing construction adapted for use with a non- retractable landing gear for aircraft which includes an oleo strut and two torque links. The improvement involves placing an aerodynamically streamlined afterbody behind the cyindrical oleo strut, and the afterbody enveloping the torque links so as to shield them from the airstream during flight. The afterbody may be one- piece or several pieces, and it is rigidly attached to one or both of the torque links; it rotates out of the way when the oleo strut is stroked--such as during landing. In a specific embodiment having a relatively short stroke (e.g., approx. 5 inches), a single afterbody in the form of a hollow shell is rigidly attached to one of the torque links; and the aterbody is relatively tall so that it at least partially envelopes the other torque link. In another embodiment, two V-shaped shells are rigidly attached to the two torque links, with one of the shells being slightly narrower than the other so that it will fold within the other when the oleo strut is stroked. If mechanical interference during folding of the torque links would preclude making the entire afterbody out of rigid materials, a sponge-like body may be used for some small portions of the afterbody. The afterbody may be an appendage which is firmly attached to a respective torque link with mechanical fasteners or bonding a agent such as glue; or, the afterbody may be integrally formed with the torque link. Auxiliary fairings may be added in the vicinity of the landing gear and/or a wheel fairing to merge with the drag-reducing construction so as to provide a smooth aerodynamic surface over the entire landing gear during flight.
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