An amphibious aircraft has a tricycle landing gear that is fixed. Each member of the landing gear is protected in the forward direction by a hydrodynamic protector, or vane, or shoe, such as may tend to create lift when brought into engagement with water, as during landing. The landing gear protector vanes may be mounted to move with extension and retraction of the landing gear. The landing gear wheels protrude to extend partially downwardly proud of the sole of the shoe. The shoes may include sacrificial wear members for ground engagement.

An amphibious aircraft has a tricycle landing gear that is fixed. Each member of the landing gear is protected in the forward direction by a hydrodynamic protector, or vane, or shoe, such as may tend to create lift when brought into engagement with water, as during landing. The landing gear protector vanes may be mounted to move with extension and retraction of the landing gear. The landing gear wheels protrude to extend partially downwardly proud of the sole of the shoe. The shoes may include sacrificial wear members for ground engagement.

An amphibious aircraft has a tricycle landing gear that is fixed. Each member of the landing gear is protected in the forward direction by a hydrodynamic protector, or vane, or shoe, such as may tend to create lift when brought into engagement with water, as during landing. The landing gear protector vanes may be mounted to move with extension and retraction of the landing gear. The landing gear wheels protrude to extend partially downwardly proud of the sole of the shoe. The shoes may include sacrificial wear members for ground engagement.

An amphibious aircraft has a tricycle landing gear that is fixed. Each member of the landing gear is protected in the forward direction by a hydrodynamic protector, or vane, or shoe, such as may tend to create lift when brought into engagement with water, as during landing. The landing gear protector vanes may be mounted to move with extension and retraction of the landing gear. The landing gear wheels protrude to extend partially downwardly proud of the sole of the shoe. The shoes may include sacrificial wear members for ground engagement.

A safety arrangement for an aircraft, especially for amphibious aircraft, being configured for determining a type of landing surface (such as water/solid ground) and including: two transceivers (301, 302); the first transceiver (301) configured to operate on first electromagnetic wavelength and the second transceiver (302) configured to operate on second electromagnetic wavelength differing from the first wavelength, and at least one of transceivers is configured to receive the reflections electromagnetic wavelengths, and determining element for determining the type of the landing surface based on the properties of two electromagnetic wavelengths reflected from the landing surface and for outputting a signal indicating the type of the determined landing surface.

A safety arrangement for an aircraft, especially for amphibious aircraft, being configured for determining a type of landing surface (such as water/solid ground) and including: two transceivers (301, 302); the first transceiver (301) configured to operate on first electromagnetic wavelength and the second transceiver (302) configured to operate on second electromagnetic wavelength differing from the first wavelength, and at least one of transceivers is configured to receive the reflections electromagnetic wavelengths, and determining element for determining the type of the landing surface based on the properties of two electromagnetic wavelengths reflected from the landing surface and for outputting a signal indicating the type of the determined landing surface.

An amphibious aircraft has two floats with a retractable nose gear at the front end of each float. The nose gear includes a nose wheel attached to a nose linkage. The nose gear includes a swivel caster with a bifluidic strut for fluid-dampened suspension. In some examples, the strut's longitudinal centerline lies at an angle to the swivel axis of rotation, and that angle changes in response to a load or weight being applied to the nose wheel. In some examples, the strut has a gas chamber for spring action and a liquid chamber for dampening. In some examples, the gas chamber is below the liquid chamber to minimize the width of the nose linkage near the nose wheel. In some examples, a free-floating piston provides a seal for dividing the gas from the liquid.

An amphibious aircraft has two floats with a retractable nose gear at the front end of each float. The nose gear includes a nose wheel attached to a nose linkage. The nose gear includes a swivel caster with a bifluidic strut for fluid-dampened suspension. In some examples, the strut's longitudinal centerline lies at an angle to the swivel axis of rotation, and that angle changes in response to a load or weight being applied to the nose wheel. In some examples, the strut has a gas chamber for spring action and a liquid chamber for dampening. In some examples, the gas chamber is below the liquid chamber to minimize the width of the nose linkage near the nose wheel. In some examples, a free-floating piston provides a seal for dividing the gas from the liquid.

A convertible ducted fan engine and mounting system. The convertible ducted fan engine has a shroud encircling a mechanical fan. The convertible ducted fan engine includes a fluid-propulsion configuration in which the mechanical fan rotates freely with respect to the shroud to produce thrust through fluid flow, and a drive-wheel configuration in which the shroud rotates about the rotational axis.

A convertible ducted fan engine and mounting system. The convertible ducted fan engine has a shroud encircling a mechanical fan. The convertible ducted fan engine includes a fluid-propulsion configuration in which the mechanical fan rotates freely with respect to the shroud to produce thrust through fluid flow, and a drive-wheel configuration in which the shroud rotates about the rotational axis.