LANDING GEAR SUPPORT

Abstract

An aircraft landing gear support (1) including: a support member (such as a landing gear rib (2)) and a plurality of pintle supports (5, 7, 8) (typically in the form of lugs) which form a pintle support arrangement for holding a pintle on which a landing gear assembly may be rotatably supported. The lugs are removably attached to the gear rib.

Claims

1. A landing gear support comprising: a support member, and a plurality of pintle supports which form a pintle support arrangement configured to hold a pintle which is configured to rotatably support a landing gear assembly, wherein at least one of the pintle supports is removably attached to the support member.

2. The landing gear support according to claim 1 wherein each of the pintle supports is removably attached to the support member.

3. The landing gear support according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the pintle supports is mechanically fastened to the support member.

4. The landing gear support according to claim 1, wherein the pintle support arrangement comprises: a first pintle support removably attached to the support member, and a second pintle support removably attached to the support member, wherein the second pintle support is separately removably attached to the support member from the first pintle support.

5. The landing gear support according to claim 3 wherein the pintle support arrangement comprises: a third pintle support removably attached to the support member, wherein the third pintle support is separately removably attached to the support member from the first pintle support.

6. The landing gear support according to claim 1, wherein the pintle support arrangement comprises a support portion comprising: a pintle support, and a mount configured to facilitate mounting of the respective pintle support to the support member, wherein the support portion being removably attached to the support member.

7. The landing gear support according to claim 6, wherein the support portion comprises a male or female configuration for mating with a corresponding female or more configuration provided on the support member.

8. The landing gear support according to claim 6, wherein the mount comprises one or more flanges for facilitating removable attachment to the support member.

9. The landing gear support according to claim 1, wherein the pintle support arrangement comprises: a first support portion including: a first pintle support, and a first mount configured to facilitate mounting of the first pintle support to the support member, and a second support portion including: a second pintle support, and a second mount configured to facilitate mounting of the second pintle support to the support member, wherein the first and second support portions are separately removably attached to the support member.

10. The landing gear support according to claim 9 wherein the second support portion comprises a third pintle support.

11. The landing gear support according to claim 9, wherein the first mount and/or the second mount comprise one or more flanges configured to facilitate attachment to the support member.

12. The landing gear support according to claim 9, further comprising one or more fasteners for attaching the first and second support portions to the support member.

13. The landing gear support according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the pintle supports comprises: a spacer portion configured to hold a pintle in a spaced relationship from the support member, and a pintle-receiving portion.

14. The landing gear support according to claim 1, wherein the at least one pintle support is formed from a material different from a material forming the support member.

15. The landing gear support according to claim 1, further comprising one or more flanges configured to facilitate attachment to a wing skin, one or more flanges for facilitating attachment to an upper wing skin, one or more flanges for facilitating attachment to a lower wing skin and/or one or more flanges for facilitating attachment to a wing spar.

16. A pintle support configured for use in the landing gear support of claim 1.

17. A support member configured for use in the landing gear support of claim 1.

18. A kit for forming the landing gear support in accordance with claim 1, the kit comprising a support member and one or more pintle supports for holding a pintle on which a landing gear assembly may be rotatably supported.

19. An aircraft wing comprising a landing gear support in accordance with claim 1.

20. An aircraft comprising a landing gear support in accordance with claim 1.

21. A method of making a landing gear support in accordance with claim 1, the method comprising attaching one or more pintle supports to a support member, thereby providing a pintle support arrangement for holding a pintle on which a landing gear assembly may be rotatably supported.

22. A method of maintaining an aircraft comprising a landing gear support, the landing gear support comprising a support member and a pintle support arrangement for holding a pintle on which a landing gear assembly is rotatably supported, the pintle support arrangement comprising a plurality of pintle supports, the method comprising removing one or more of the pintle supports from the support member.

23. A landing gear support comprising a landing gear rib and a plurality of lugs configured for supporting a pintle on which a landing gear assembly is rotatably supported, at least one of the lugs being removably attached to the support member.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings of which:

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an example of an embodiment of a landing gear support in accordance with the present invention; and

[0049] FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the landing gear support of FIG. 1;

[0050] FIG. 3 shows an alternative exploded perspective view of the landing gear support of FIG. 1;

[0051] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of an example of an embodiment of an aircraft wing in accordance with the present invention;

[0052] FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of an example of an embodiment of an aircraft in accordance with the present invention;

[0053] FIG. 6 shows a schematic representation of an example of an embodiment of a method of making a landing gear support in accordance with the present invention; and

[0054] FIG. 7 shows a schematic representation of an example of an embodiment of a method of maintaining an aircraft comprising a landing gear support in accordance with the present invention

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] An example of an embodiment of a landing gear support will now be described by way of example only with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. The landing gear support is denoted generally by reference numeral 1 and comprises a support member in the form of a gear rib 2 and a pintle support arrangement shown generally by reference numeral 17. The pintle support arrangement 17 holds a pintle (not shown) on which a landing gear assembly may be rotatably supported. The pintle support arrangement 17 comprises a first support portion 3 and a second support portion 4. The first 3 and second 4 support portions are removably attached to the gear rib 2 by bolts (not shown). This facilitates simple removal and replacement of the first 3 and second 4 support portions, and allows the first 3 and second 4 support portions to be made from different materials than the gear rib 2. The first support portion 3 comprises a first pintle support 5 attached to first mounting flange 6. The first pintle support 5 is provided with a first pintle support aperture 10 for the receipt of a pintle (not shown). A first spigot 13 projects from the first mounting flange 6 in a direction opposite from that to which the first pintle support 5 projects. The second support portion 4 comprises second pintle support 7 and third pintle support 8 which project from second mounting flange 9. The attachment bolts (not shown) extend through apertures (not shown) provided in the gear rib 2 and the mounting flanges 6, 9. Each of the second 7 and third 8 pintle supports is provided with a respective second pintle support aperture 11 and a third pintle support aperture 12 for the receipt of the pintle (not shown). The second support portion 4 comprises a second spigot 14 which projects in a direction opposite from that to which the second 7 and third 8 pintle supports project. Each spigot 13, 14 is seated in a corresponding recess 15, 16 provided in the gear rib 2.

[0056] The gear rib 2 is forged from aluminium. The first 3 and second 4 support portions are forged from aluminium.

[0057] FIG. 4 shows an example of an embodiment of an aircraft wing in accordance with the present invention, the aircraft wing being denoted generally by reference numeral 201. The landing gear support is denoted generally by reference numeral 101 and is essentially the same as landing gear support 1 as described above. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, gear rib 2 of landing gear support 101 comprises an upper flange 20 for supporting upper wing skin U, a lower flange 21 for supporting lower wing skin L and a forward flange 22 for attachment of the gear rib 2 to wing spar S.

[0058] FIG. 5 shows an example of an embodiment of an aircraft in accordance with the present invention, the aircraft being denoted generally by reference numeral 100. The aircraft 100 comprises a first landing gear support 101 located in a first wing 201 and a second landing gear support 102 located in a second wing 202. The first landing gear support 101 and the second landing gear support 102 are essentially the same as that described above in relation to FIGS. 1 to 3, although they will be necessarily be minor images of one another to conform to the mirror-image geometries of the respective wing in which the landing gear support is located.

[0059] FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of an example of an embodiment of a method of forming a landing gear support in accordance with the present invention. The method is denoted generally by reference numeral 1001. The method 1001 comprises attaching 1002 a first support portion to the gear rib, the first support portion comprising a first pintle support attached to a first mounting plate and attaching 1003 a second support portion to the gear rib, the second support portion comprising a second pintle support and a third pintle support attached to a second mounting plate. The first and second support portions are as described above in relation to FIGS. 1 to 3. As mentioned above, such an arrangement facilitates removal and replacement of the first and second support portions and allows the first and second support portions to be made from a different material from the gear rib.

[0060] FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of an example of an embodiment of a method of maintaining an aircraft comprising a landing gear support in accordance with the present invention. The method is denoted generally by reference number 2001. The method 2001 comprises raising 2002 the aircraft so that the landing gear is raised from the ground, detaching 2003 and removing 2004 the landing gear from the landing gear support, removing 2005 the first support portion, attaching 2006 a replacement first support portion, reattaching 2007 the landing gear and lowering 2008 the aircraft. The first and second support portions are as described above in relation to FIGS. 1 to 3. Removing 2005 the first support portion comprises releasing one or more bolts used to attach the first support portion to the support member. Similarly, attaching 2006 a replacement first support portion comprises fastening one or more bolts to attach the replacement first portion to the support member.

[0061] Whilst the present invention has been described and illustrated with reference to particular embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention lends itself to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein. By way of example only, certain possible variations will now be described.

[0062] The support member and the support portions may be forged from a material other than aluminium, for example, titanium. The support member may alternatively be formed from a composite material, for example, carbon fibres dispersed in a polymeric matrix. The support portions may alternatively be machined from a billet.

[0063] Where in the foregoing description, integers or elements are mentioned which have known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining the true scope of the present invention, which should be construed so as to encompass any such equivalents. It will also be appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the invention that are described as preferable, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that such optional integers or features, whilst of possible benefit in some embodiments of the invention, may not be desirable, and may therefore be absent, in other embodiments.