Landing Gear Retraction System — Design Challenge
Okay, here’s the challenge:
The main landing gear retraction system on the original aircraft showed some significant weaknesses during its relatively short service life. Reusing the same design would therefore not be a sensible approach, so I decided to redesign the complete retraction mechanism from the ground up.
So far, I have developed eight different design variants. After evaluating them, only two appear to be feasible:
- Version A: An overcenter linkage mechanism driven by an electric linear actuator.
- Version B: A spindle drive mechanism driven by an electric motor with an integrated brake.
Both concepts have their own advantages and disadvantages. The most significant difference is weight: the overcenter linkage version is approximately 3 kg heavier than the spindle drive version.
For the interested engineers among you, I’ve included links below with a more detailed description of both concepts, along with two short clips showing the retraction mechanisms in operation.
Which variant would you choose, and what would be the reason for your choice?