TsAGI Improves Safety of Passenger Aircraft Landing Gear

Engineers are implementing "weak links" to prevent fires in accidents

At the International Conference "Aviation and Cosmonautics," organized by the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI), scientists from the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute named after Professor N.E. Zhukovsky (TsAGI, part of the National Research Center "Institute named after N.E. Zhukovsky") presented a new study dedicated to improving the safety of civil aircraft landing gear.

MC-21 landing

TsAGI engineer Andrey Krekнин presented a report "Investigation of the Safe Separation Process of the Main Landing Gear Strut During the Destruction of Weak Links." In his speech, he highlighted the mechanisms that prevent fuel leakage and, as a result, ignition during emergency landings or exceeding design loads.

According to the requirements of airworthiness standards, the design of passenger aircraft landing gear should provide for the possibility of controlled destruction under extreme loads. For this purpose, so-called "weak links" are introduced into the system — elements with pre-reduced strength. Their destruction in an emergency situation allows the main landing gear strut (MLGS) to separate safely without damaging fuel tanks and other critical systems.

Based on the research conducted, TsAGI has developed practical recommendations for the design of modern landing gear, including such "weak links." The solution directly contributes to meeting fire safety requirements and reducing risks in emergencies, which is especially important in the context of increasing requirements for the reliability and safety of modern aviation technology.

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