from shock during landing. The weight-on-wheels
Nose Landing Gear
switch provides helicopter ground or flight status
On aircraft with tricycle landing gear, the nose gear
indications for various helicopter systems.
is retracted either rearward or forward into the aircraft
Tail Landing Gear
fuselage. Generally, the nose gear consists of a single
shock strut with one or two wheels attached. On most
The H-60 tail landing gear system consists of a
aircraft the nose gear has a steering mechanism for
dual-wheel landing gear, tail wheel lock system, and
taxiing the aircraft. The mechanism also acts as a
tail bumper.
shimmy damper to prevent oscillation or shimmy of the
nosewheel. Since the nosewheel must be centered
The tail landing gear is a cantilever type with an
before it can be retracted into the wheel well, a
integral shock strut. The gear is capable of swiveling
centering device aligns the strut and wheel when the
360 degrees. It can be locked in the trail position by the
weight of the aircraft is off the gear.
tail wheel lock system. A tail recovery assist, secure,
and traverse (RAST) probe is mounted on the tail gear.
ROTARY-WING AIRCRAFT
Q13-1. A landing gear system is operated and
controlled by what means?
The landing gear systems on rotary-wing aircraft
come in several different designs. A helicopter may
Q13-2. What does a typical fixed-wing aircraft
have a nonretractable landing gear, such as that found
landing gear configuration consist of?
on the H-46 and H-60 helicopters, or it may have a
Q13-3. In what direction does the nose landing gear
retractable type landing gear like that incorporated on
of a fixed-wing aircraft retract?
the H-53 helicopter. Some helicopters have a nose
landing gear while others have a tail landing gear. The
Q13-4. At what time does the centering device of a
H-53 has a retractable nose landing gear, but the H-46
nose landing gear ensure that the strut and
has the nonretractable type of nose landing gear. The
the nose wheel are aligned?
H-60 helicopter uses a tail landing gear. The H-60 tail
Q13-5. What type of landing gear is found on a H-60
landing gear is nonretractable.
helicopter?
As you can see, helicopter landing gear systems
Q13-6. What type of nose landing gear is found on a
come in several different configurations. The landing
H-53 helicopter?
gear systems on most of the helicopters used in the
Navy use wheel and brake assemblies. The components
Q13-7. On the H-60 helicopter, what landing gear
used in the landing gear system of a helicopter are very
assembly includes the weight-on-wheels
similar to those used in a fixed-wing aircraft landing
sensing switch?
gear system. In helicopters that use retractable landing
Q13-8. What type of tail landing gear is incorporated
gear systems, the components and means of actuation
on the H-60 helicopter?
are also similar in design to fixed-wing aircraft. For
discussion purposes, we will use the landing gear
system of the H-60 helicopter. This helicopter uses a
LANDING GEAR SYSTEMS
nonretractable main and tail landing gear.
OPERATION
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Identify opera-
Main Landing Gear
tional procedures of landing gear systems.
The main landing gear system of the H-60
Landing gear systems on naval aircraft, as stated
helicopter consists of nonretractable left and right
earlier, are similar in design. Most aircraft equipped
single wheel landing gear assemblies and the
with the tricycle-type, retractable landing gear have two
weight-on-wheels system. Each main landing gear
systems of operation, normal and emergency.
assembly is composed of a shock strut, drag beam, axle,
wheel, tire, and wheel brake. The left main landing gear
NORMAL SYSTEM
assembly also includes a weight-on-wheels sensing
switch.
The normal system of a "typical" landing gear
system is described because many components used in
The main landing gear supports the helicopter
different landing gear systems are similar. Figure 13-2
when it is on the ground, and cushions the helicopter
13-2
