Aircraft Landing Gear Control for Earlier Retraction Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft landing gear systems require manual pilot intervention for retraction and extension, leading to delayed retraction after take-off and early extension during landing, increasing drag, noise, and risk of damage, while also increasing the workload for flight crews.
Innovation Solution
A landing gear system controller that automatically initiates retraction or extension based on predetermined conditions and requests from non-landing gear system elements, such as automatic landing systems, to optimize gear movement timing and reduce pilot workload.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual pilot intervention is used for landing gear retraction and extension, then the pilot maintains direct control over gear operation, but the retraction is delayed after take-off and extension occurs early during landing, increasing drag, noise, and risk of damage
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs preliminary actions by automatically initiating landing gear retraction after take-off and extension during landing based on flight phase detection, eliminating the need for delayed manual pilot intervention and reducing the period of harmful drag and noise
Solution Approach 2:
The landing gear system serves itself through automated control based on flight conditions, where the controller monitors flight parameters and independently decides when to retract or extend the gear, freeing the pilot from this operational task while optimizing timing to minimize drag, noise, and damage risk
2Reliability
If manual pilot intervention is required for landing gear operation, then the pilot can make real-time decisions, but the flight crew workload increases during take-off and landing procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The controller autonomously manages landing gear operation by monitoring flight parameters and automatically commanding retraction or extension, making the system self-sufficient and eliminating the need for continuous pilot intervention, thus reducing workload while maintaining reliability through automated decision-making based on flight conditions
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the landing gear is retracted earlier after take-off, then drag and noise are reduced, but the risk of premature retraction increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller uses feedback from flight parameter sensors (altitude, speed, vertical rate of climb) to determine the appropriate timing for gear retraction, ensuring that retraction occurs only when safe conditions are met, thus reducing drag and noise while preventing premature retraction through condition-based control
Solution Approach 2:
The controller prepares for gear retraction by monitoring flight conditions in advance and initiating retraction at the optimal moment when safety criteria are satisfied, allowing earlier retraction to reduce drag and noise while maintaining safety through preliminary condition assessment
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the landing gear is extended later during landing, then drag and noise are reduced, but the risk of late extension increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller continuously monitors landing approach parameters (altitude, speed, vertical rate of descent) and uses this feedback to determine the optimal moment for gear extension, enabling later extension to reduce drag and noise while ensuring safety through real-time condition monitoring and automated timing
Data Source
AI summary
A landing gear system controller for controlling a landing gear system of an aircraft. The controller is configured to receive a request to operate a non-landing gear system element of the aircraft, and to cause operation of at least part of the landing gear system of the aircraft during a take-off or landing procedure on the basis of the request.