The Boeing Company

Mark Nicholas Simpson

Justin D Cottet

Naveed Moayyed Hussain

John Jian Dong

Roland Hinton

James E Cusworth

Mitchell Loren Ray Mellor

Richard Kevin Johnson

George Sonnenburg

Mitchell Loren Mellor

Justin Cottet

David W Foutch

Stephen John Fox

David S Chambers

Methods and systems are provided that facilitate the maintenance of levered landing gears by monitoring the condition of the stop pads of such landing gears. One embodiment provides for calibrating a sensor for measuring a condition of a stop joint formed by a first stop pad and a second stop pad of a levered landing gear against a nominal condition of at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad; monitoring, by the sensor, a current condition of the at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad from the nominal condition; determining whether a non-conformance from the nominal condition of the at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad has been detected by the sensor for the current condition; and in response to determining that the non-conformance has been detected, generating an alert.

Health monitoring of aircraft landing gear mechanical structures

An aircraft landing gear structure includes a strut assembly and a wheel assembly operatively coupled to the strut assembly. The strut assembly includes an upper tubular housing and a lower tubular housing configured to be longitudinally translated with respect to the upper tubular housing such that the overall length of the strut assembly is transitioned between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration for stowage during flight. The wheel assembly includes a forward link pivotally coupled to the upper tubular housing and a truck beam that is pivotally coupled to the lower tubular housing such that translation of the lower tubular housing with respect to the upper tubular housing causes pivoting of the forward link and the truck beam with respect to one another, thereby tilting and/or raising a wheel of the wheel assembly with respect to the upper tubular housing.

Aircraft landing gear having a lever assembly, aircraft including the same, and related methods

A strut assembly for an aircraft landing gear structure is transitioned between an extended configuration, corresponding to the aircraft being off the ground, and a retracted configuration, in which the strut assembly is shortened along its longitudinal axis with respect to the extended configuration, for stowage during flight. The strut assembly includes an upper bulkhead supported by an upper tubular housing, and a lower tubular housing configured to be longitudinally translated with respect to the upper tubular housing. To transition the strut assembly to the retracted configuration, translation of the upper bulkhead with respect to the upper tubular housing mechanically causes translation of the lower tubular housing to a retracted position, such that the overall length of the strut assembly is reduced. The strut assembly may be an oleo strut assembly.

Aircraft landing gear, aircraft, and related methods

A water spray deflector to deflect water spray produced from aircraft landing gear from components of the aircraft. The water spray deflector has an inner diameter and an outer diameter. Coupled to the spray deflector are attachment arms that are adapted to couple with an outer portion of a rim of the landing gear. The attachment arms are also configured to support the water spray deflector position the water spray deflector a distance from a side wall of the tire to prevent the side wall of the tire from coming in contact with the water spray deflector under various loading conditions placed on the tire. In some versions, the water spray deflector is weakened in areas to encourage a failure mode of the water spray deflector.

Wheel mounted water spray deflector

Apparatuses and methods for preventing foreign object damage (FOD) to aircraft engines are disclosed. In one embodiment, a deployable blocker is coupled to a wing portion and/or a fuselage portion of the aircraft and is configured to prevent debris from travelling on a direct trajectory from a landing gear wheel to an engine air inlet. In other embodiments, the blocker can prevent debris from bouncing off the wing lower surface into the engine inlet, or sticking to the wing lower surface and falling into the engine inlet. The deployable blocker can cover at least a portion of the landing gear when the landing gear is retracted and the blocker assembly stowed. In another embodiment, the blocker can be mounted to the landing gear.

Apparatuses and methods for preventing foreign object damage to aircraft engines

Aircraft landing gear assemblies having multiple deployed static positions. In one embodiment, a landing gear assembly usable with a wing includes a wheel truck and a strut having a first strut end and a second strut end. The first strut end is configured to be pivotally connected to the wing, and the second strut end is configured to be pivotally connected to the wheel truck. In one aspect of this embodiment, the strut is configured to be connected to a first brace extending between the strut and the wing for positioning the wheel truck in a first deployed static position. In another aspect of this embodiment, the strut is further configured to be connected to a second brace extending between the strut and the wing for positioning the wheel truck in a second deployed static position different than the first deployed static position.

Growing community of inventors

Kirkland, WA, United States of America

Mark Nicholas Simpson