Airplane Landing Gear Maintenance Guide
While aircraft landing gear is extremely durable and rugged, it's not immune to wear and tear. An airplane's landing gear is extremely vulnerable to corrosion and damage, which can lead to a reduced lifespan and increased costs. Because of this, it's important for aircraft technicians to keep landing gear in good condition through thorough and regular aircraft maintenance. Keep reading for a high-level look at what both fixed and retractable landing gear goes through in a lifetime and learn a few airplane landing gear maintenance best practices to keep in mind.
The Stressful Life Of Landing Gear
Smaller aircraft typically have fixed landing gear, while most commercial aircraft utilize retractable landing gear. These landing systems naturally take quite a beating and, thus, need just as much maintenance as any other aircraft component.
Consider this. The pressurized oleo-pneumatic shock-absorbers are constantly exerting stress on the landing gear's metal housings. The force of consistently hitting runways upon landing puts stress on the whole system. And, when the aircraft brakes or accelerates, horizontal forces are exerted onto the landing gear — and that's just when the aircraft is in use.
During aircraft towing, strain is put on the forward landing gear. This is especially true if employees aren't taking the proper precautions and safety measures. Landing gear can easily be damaged due to improper jacking or mishandling of the aircraft or ground support equipment. Plus, some solvents can cause hydrogen embrittlement to your system. Add into this general impacts, collisions and accidents, and you're looking at bent, cracked or even collapsed landing gear. As such, it's crucial to stay on top of landing gear maintenance. It will save you serious headaches and costly expenses down the road.
Aircraft Landing Gear Maintenance And Best Practices
If you have a regular landing gear maintenance plan in place, it will help keep costs down and reduce the need for complete overhauls. Most landing gear maintenance best practices are simple but can have a big impact on the safe and reliable operation of the aircraft.
1. Protect Landing Gear From Corrosive Agents
Paint strippers and other corrosive agents can eat away and cripple a landing gear system. If these acids find their way into the landing gear, it can result in hydrogen embrittlement, leading to expensive cracks. If the cracks are large enough, the component may have to be replaced. It's important to stay on top of this so that the system never fails while in use. Conduct regular aircraft maintenance checks to ensure no corrosive agents are present on the landing gear.
2. Keep Critical System Components Lubricated
While this step may seem quite simple, it's crucial to keeping the most critical components operating smoothly. Insufficient lubrication can cause wear and tear to the moving parts of an airplane's landing gear. By taking the simple step of regularly lubricating articulated parts and joints of the landing gear, you'll ensure everything is running properly and that water and corrosion-causing substances aren't getting into the system.
Before lubricating anything, make sure to check the aircraft's manual to determine which products are safe to use. The wrong grease can also be detrimental to the landing gear, causing damage to the gear's bushings.
3. Avoid Unnecessary Impacts on the Struts
While this step may seem like common sense, avoiding impacts is a best practice for aircraft landing gear maintenance. The landing gear system's pressurized shock-absorbing struts are vulnerable to dings, dents and nicks. This damage can alter the shape of the struts or support structures, making them more vulnerable to potential failure from metal fatigue.
4. Maintain a Thorough Record of Everything
A landing gear system is made up of many components, from the trunnion to the wheel and brake assembly. It's vital to keep documentation of every serialized part of your landing gear. Each component has specified operational lifespans. Having a record allows you to easily reference the part's history and lifespan, keeping repair and overhaul costs down.
However, things do happen in aviation, and accidents are bound to occur. A large part of proper aircraft landing gear maintenance is keeping thorough documentation. This should already be a part of your daily inspection process. Keep a record of the kind of accidents that occur to the landing gear and any visible damage. The damaged landing gear component should then be immediately swapped out and sent off for testing and repair, along with a copy of your documentation. This will ensure your landing gear MRO facility has all the information it needs to conduct a thorough and accurate repair.
5. Have the Right Landing Gear Maintenance Equipment in Place
Lastly, a major part of any successful airplane landing gear maintenance plan is having the right equipment in place.
Keep in mind, this article should not be considered an exhaustive guide. Always consult your aircraft manufacturer, the FAA and your ground support equipment manual for complete instructions, regulations and guidelines for airplane landing gear maintenance.
Let Tronair Help Find the Landing Gear Maintenance Equipment for Your Needs
At Tronair, we offer a diverse selection of high-quality ground support and landing gear maintenance equipment. With over 100 years of experience, we're here to help you find the equipment you need with the reliability you can trust. Reach out for additional information about our range of products, and shop landing gear equipment today.
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