Aircraft Landing Gear Simulation And Analysis

A computer aided graphical synthesis was undertaken to understand the kinematics of a nose wheel landing gear mechanism such as that on the Lockheed F-16 using Working Model software. The mobility of the design was verified by computer animation. To contrast the nose gear kinematic simulation, the main landing gear located under the wing of a light weight aircraft such as the Berkut (Ber-koot) was also studied. The Berkut is the product of Experimental Aviation, Inc. (E.A.I) located in Santa Monica, California. This plane was selected because it is representative of the growing market of kit and light weight general aviation aircraft in the 1,000 to 2,000 pound weight range. In this weight class, the Solid-Spring landing gear can be used instead of the oleoshock-strut type used in the F-16. Computer modeling and finite element analysis are explored to analyze stresses developed while landing at normal sink rates. The deflections of the main spring gear are calculated and the internal stresses evaluated utilizing the finite element program Stardyne (Research Engineers, Inc.). The results of the modeling and simulation are discussed in this paper.