What was the first aircraft with retractable landing gear?
Wheels-up! The retractable landing gear that is now commonplace on commercial and military aircraft was first developed for Glen Curtiss’ Triad airplane in 1911. This aircraft was amphibious, so the retractable wheels were used to help the Triad take-off or land on water.
What are retractable landing gears?
Retractable landing gear reduces an airplane’s drag, increasing CRUISE speed and glide distance. (Other aircraft designs can employ electric motors to raise and lower the landing gear.) Hydraulic pressure holds the gear up, so there are no uplocks as on some aircraft.
Does Cessna 172 have retractable landing gear?
Landing Gear and Brakes Landing gear is a retractable tricycle type with a steerable nose wheel. Shock absorption is accomplished through tubular spring steel main gear struts and an air/oil nose gear strut.
Who invented retractable landing gear?
Leroy Gruman
Leroy Gruman invented retractable landing gear.
What is the purpose of retractable landing gear?
Retractable landing gear is designed to streamline the airplane (reduce the drag) by allowing the landing gear to be stowed inside the structure during cruising flight. Fixed landing gear is common with slow (e.g. general aviation) aircraft and most commercial aircraft use retractable landing gear.
Do helicopters have retractable landing gear?
When it comes to landing gear, helicopters have two basic types: skids and wheels. Skid gear is always fixed and wheels can be fixed or retractable. Larger helicopters (such as the Bell 206 or AS350) can be moved around with ground-handling wheels, but it normally takes a couple of people.
What is the advantage of retractable landing gear?
The primary benefits of being able to retract the landing gear are increased climb performance and higher cruise airspeeds due to the resulting decrease in drag. Retractable landing gear systems may be operated either hydraulically or electrically or may employ a combination of the two systems.