When an airplane's landing gear are configured like a locked rear end on a
race car.
> Big trouble for Airbus......
>For those of you who aren't passingly familiar with what this is all About
>... someone was trying to turn AirBus' great big, brand-new, A380 aircraft
>a little too sharply (we don't know whether under it's own power, or while
>it was under tow).
>
>AirBus elected NOT to make their main landing gear system (four separate
>gear with four wheels apiece) steerable. Unlike the 747.
>Why? You save a considerable amount of weight -- not to mention some
>serious extra cost -- by not doing so. There is a trade-off, however ...
>
>When you have non-steerable gear that are configured like they are on this
>aircraft, you have scuffing/skidding going on whenever you turn the
>aircraft. This isn't an unusual design for a wheeled vehicle, though.
>
>For instance, a dual-axle semi-trailer does the same thing when it's being
>maneuvered sharply within a warehouse parking lot. What makes the A380 so
>special, is the incredible amount of weight on each huge tire, in
>conjunction with the widely-spaced gear. In concert, these two aspects
>considerably magnify the inherent problem -- to the point where the
>asphalt (not just the rubber tire) is taking it in the shorts ... not to
>mention the stress and overload that's happening to the entire structure
>between the tire and the gear attaching points in the wing
>structure. Note the apparent bending of the gear in one of the
>shots! No, Mildred, that is NOT a good thing to be happening to your
>aircraft's main landing gear. Unless they're making everything out of
>rubber, those stress loads have GOT to be off the scale!
>
>As new-aircraft design problems go, this will likely prove to be a
>very expensive one for AirBus to deal with. It's either that, or the
>aircraft will only be able to operate in and out of airports that have the
>extra fifty-acres it ! will nee d to get safely turned-around. It'll be
>interesting to see how they solve this one.
>
> It hurts to be you, AirBus.
>
>
> ******************
>
> I don't know any more about the story, but I wonder how hard they
> were trying to turn the plane???
>
> Just a little look at some big tires..
>
> Looks like Airbus didn't think the extra weight needed for steerable
> MLG was worth it...
>
> The A380 has a real problem with their gear in addition to the
> structure problem on the body.
> FYI
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