College of Engineering

Coursework Submission Sheet

Coursework Title: Landing gear analysis Student number: 2014769

Coursework number: CW1 Name: Chris Antoniades

Module code: EGA220 Email: 2014769@swansea.ac.uk

Module title: Aerospace Systems Degree course: Aerospace Engineering

Submission deadline: 17:00 9th Dec 2022

Lecturer: Dr Zoran Jelic

By submitting this coursework, I certify that this is all my own work.

Submission date: 09/12/2022

Student signature if this is a non-electronic submission…………………………………………………

SPLD Students

Please tick this box if you are officially recognised by the University as an SPLD student.
EG220 Landing Gear Analysis
Concorde
Aircraft choice: Concorde
MTOW: 185065kg
MLW: 111130kg
Swings: 358.25m2 (Delta-wing)

Task 1: Calculation of VT
To find VT (vertical touchdown speed), we already have most of the information. However,
the formula requires CZ and CX values on landing. These are coefficients of lift and drag
respectively. Landing CZ is found by taking 90% of the maximum CZ value.

Figure 1

CZmax is found as 1.542. Therefore CZ for landing is 1.3878. Using interpolation, we can find
as corresponding CX value of 0.6696.

With this information, we can use the given formula to find VT.
Task 2: Static loads acting on main & nose gear
The static loads at each landing gear is split according to the position of the centre of gravity
(CG) of the aircraft. This is obviously dependent to many factors that can’t be measured by
us, such as fuel, passenger, baggage loads, etc. However, using a 3-view diagram of the
aircraft, we can draw a few lines to estimate a suitable position for CG.

CG is estimated in a range of 25% to 55% MAC (mean aerodynamic chord). As centre of

pressure can be estimated at 25% MAC, CG must lie behind this point, while in front of the
main landing gear. This has brought us to a final estimate of 30% MAC. This is 7cm from the
nose landing gear on the 3-view, which can scale up to 15.9m.
MAC: 8cm (on 3-view) -> 18.2m
CG: 30% MAC ≈ 2.4cm (from LE) -> 5.457m
- From NLG ≈ 7cm -> 15.9m
- From MLG ≈ 1cm -> 2.27m

Taking static equilibrium…

FstNLG = 13,777.07daN (single nose gear strut)

FSMG = 47,620.73daN (each main gear strut)
Task 3: Tire selection
We can find the static loads on each tyre by taking the load on each strut and dividing
through the number of tyres on each respective strut.
FNLG,tyre = FstNLG / 2
FNLG,tyre = 6888.5daN (single nose gear tyre)
FMLG,tyre = FSMG / 4
FMLG,tyre = 11,905.2daN (each main gear tyre)

Selection
Nose gear: KT48
1100x400mm (43x15.7’’)
6.5bar (94.27psi)
Static load: 7920daN > FNLG,tyre
Max load: 24,400daN

Main gear: KT67

1325x480mm (52x18.9’’)
6bar (87psi)
Static load: 15,000daN > FMLG,tyre
Max load: 39,000daN

For the remainder of this report, only the main gear will be looked at.
Task 4: Tire stroke
Tyre selected: KT67
Width: 480mm (18.9’’)

Maximum allowable stroke can be approximated as: δmax ≅ 0.7*Width

Tyre stroke at burst can be approximated as: δburst ≅ 0.84*Width
Therefore,
δmax = 336mm (13.23’’)
δburst = 403.2mm (15.88’’)

The following equation calculates the reaction force (Z) using tyre dimensions and pressure.
The formula uses imperial units; therefore units must be converted from metric.

The following script is an implementation of this formula. Tyre dimensions are entered into
the code, as highlighted in red.

MATLAB Script
n = 50;

% Tyre: KT67
p_bar = 6; % bar
D_mm = 1325; % mm
w_mm = 480;

% Stroke array (x-axis)

strokeMax_mm = 0.7*w_mm;
steps_mm = strokeMax_mm / n;
stroke_mm = 0:steps_mm:strokeMax_mm;

% Metric -> Imperial

p = p_bar * 14.504; % psi
D = D_mm / 25.4; % in
w = w_mm / 25.4;
strokeMax = strokeMax_mm / 25.4;

% Stroke array
steps = strokeMax / n;
stroke = 0:steps:strokeMax;

% Reaction force array (y-axis)

ZM = zeros(1,n+1);
for i = 1:n+1
ratio = stroke(i) / w;
if stroke(i) <= w * 0.1
Z(i) = (p+0.08*p)* w *(w*D)^0.5 * (0.96*ratio +
(0.216/0.03)*ratio^2);
else
Z(i) = (p+0.08*p)* w *(w*D)^0.5 * (2.4*(ratio-0.03) );
end
end

% Trapezium rule to find work done

Work = trapz(Z,stroke);

% Imperial -> Metric

Work_daNm = Work * 9.81 * 0.0254 / 2.205/ 10;
Z_kN = Z * 9.81/2.205/1000;

% OUTPUTS
fprintf('Work done by tyre:\nKT67: %f daNm\n', Work_daNm)

figure
plot(stroke_mm,Z_kN, '-r')
title('KT67')
set(gca, 'YTickLabel',get(gca,'YTick'))
xlabel('δ (mm)')
ylabel('Z(δ) (kN)')
grid on
Maximum tyre force
n = 3.3 (Load factor)
Ftyre,MAX = n*FMLG,tyre
Ftyre,MAX = 39287.2daN

Corresponding stroke (interpolating from table)

δtyre,MAX ≈ 331mm (13’’)

The work done by each tyre was found using numerical integration by trapezium rule. This
can be expressed as:
δmax
WZ = ∫ Z(δ) dδ
0

Work computed in imperial: WZ = 617101.4 in-lb

Work in metric: WMLG,tyre = 6973.5daNm (69735Nm)
Task 4.1: Kinetic energy absorbed by main strut
KE absorbed by all tyres
1
KE = 2 MLW ∗ VT2

MLW = 111130kg
Value computed for VT = 4.75m/s
For KE, we will use VT = 3.67m/s
KE = 748,399.4Nm

Load distribution ratio

FstMLG / FstNLG = 6.913 ≈ 6.9

Applying this ratio to KE, we get the total KE on the main gear strut:
KEstMLG = 653821Nm
Dividing through number of struts and tyres (2 struts x 4 tyres)
KEONE = 81728.5Nm (each tyre)

Task 4.2: Work done by shock absorber

Work done by each main gear tyre
WMLG,tyre = 69735Nm (found by MATLAB script)

WSB = KEONE – WMLG,tyre

WSB = 12000Nm (Work done by shock absorber)
Task 5: Shock absorber stroke
n = 3.3 (Load factor)
β = 5° (Strut inclination angle)
i=1 (Shock absorbers / strut)
η = 0.7 (Shock absorber efficiency)
FSMG
RStatic = cos β
i

RStatic = 474,395.2N

Without lift force

RSB,MAX = n*RStatic
RSB,MAX = 1,565,504.1N
ΔSB,MAX = WSB / η*RSB,MAX
ΔSB,MAX = 0.11m (110mm)

With lift force

RSB,MAX,L = (n-1)*RStatic
RSB,MAX,L = 1,091,108.96N
ΔSB,MAX,L = WSB / η*RSB,MAX,L
ΔSB,MAX,L = 0.157m (157mm)
Max shock absorber stroke should be between 100-200mm

Task 6: Initial force on shock absorber

n0 = 1.1
RSB0 = n0*RStatic
RSB0 = 521,834.7N

Task 7: Shock absorber geometry

11 = 100mm
12 = 70mm
LRod,MIN = Dm/2 + 11 + 12 + ΔSB,MAX
LRod,MIN = 1325/2 + 100 + 70 + 110 = 942.5mm
LRod,MIN ≈ 950mm
Task 7.1: Shock absorber reaction forces
Scale for diagram
ratio_F = 4000N/cm
ratio_Δ = 0.01m/cm

R SB,MAX + R SB0
Apara = ΔSB,MAX (ηR SB,MAX − )
2
Apara = 574Nm

ratioΔ (R SB,MAX − R SB0 )

α = tan−1 ( )
ratioF ∗ ΔSB,MAX
α = 67.14°

R SB,MAX − R SB0 2 ΔSB,MAX 2

Cp = √( ) +( )
ratioF ratioΔ

Cp = 28.3cm
ΔSB,MAX
chord =
ratioF ∗ cos(α)
chord = 28.3cm 1/2chord = 14.16cm
1
X1 = 𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑑 ∗ cos(𝛼)
2
X1 = 0.055m (11/2cm)

Apara
Aratio =
ratioF ∗ ratioΔ
Aratio = 14.35cm2
3 Aratio
hpara = ∗
2 chord
hpara = 0.76cm

For vertex:
X2 = X1 − h sin(α)
X2 = 4.8cm
Y2 = Y1 + hsin(α)
Y2 = 26.4cm
Y2,num = Y2 ratioF
Y2,num = 1,055,809.9N (1055.81kN)
Task 8: Frictional force in shock absorber
R SB (Δ) = −26.396495Δ2 + 12391.517176Δ2 + 521834.7 (N)
μ = 0.09 (Friction coefficient in shock absorber)
2Lrod − 11 − Δ
R fr (Δ) = R SB (Δ) (μ tan(β) )
11 + Δ

Calculation of forces for discrete values of stroke

RA: Pneumatic force in shock absorber
For Δ=0
2Lrod − 11
R A0 = R SB0 (1 − μ tan(β) )
11
RA0 = 447,874.2N
Rfr0 = RSB0 – RA0
Rfr0 = 73,960.5N
For Δ=ΔSB,MAX
2Lrod − 11 − ΔSB,MAX
R A,MAX = R SB,MAX (1 − μ tan(β) )
11 + ΔSB,MAX
RA,MAX = 1,466,303.13N
Rfr,MAX = RSB,MAX – RA,MAX
Rfr,MAX = 99,100N
Task 9: Shock absorber hydraulic & pneumatic forces
Dp = 0.08m
π
sp = D2p ∗
2
Sp = 0.005m2

p0 = pa = 101325N/m2

sp ∗ ΔSB,MAX
V0 = 1
R A0 + sp pa k
1 − (R )
A,MAX + sp pa

V0 = 0.000963m3
k
V0
R A (Δ) = (R A0 + sp pa ) ( ) − sp pa
V0 − sp Δ
Rhydr (Δ) = RSB(Δ) – RA (Δ) – Rfr (Δ)
Fg (Δ) = RSB (Δ) / cos(β)
Figure 2

References

Fig. 1 - Aerodynamic data found from:

Aprovitola A, Dyblenko O, Pezzella G, Viviani A. Aerodynamic Analysis of a Supersonic
Transport Aircraft at Low and High Speed Flow Conditions. Aerospace [Internet]. 2022 Jul
29;9(8):411. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/aerospace9080411

Fig. 2 - Image:
Concorde Main Landing Gear [Internet]. heritage-concorde.
Available from: https://www.heritageconcorde.com/mainlandinggear