Retractable Landing Gear Foot with Variable Cross-Sectional Area
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Aerial vehicles face challenges with existing landing gear systems, as fixed gear increases drag and reduces efficiency, while retractable gear increases complexity and weight, and can be unreliable in soft terrain.
Innovation Solution
A retractable landing support assembly with a strut that pivots between deployed and stowed states, featuring a foot that changes cross-sectional area for enhanced support and reduced drag, allowing for larger payloads, higher speeds, and improved maneuverability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If retractable landing gear is used, then drag is reduced and fuel efficiency is improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The landing gear system is divided into modular components: a retractable support leg with foot, a separate actuator mechanism, and a linkage system. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall simplicity, resolving the contradiction between retractability and complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The landing gear transitions from a static fixed structure to a dynamic retractable system that can change configuration between flight and landing states. The actuator-driven mechanism enables smooth transitions while maintaining structural integrity, achieving drag reduction without excessive complexity
2Speed
If retractable landing gear is used, then flight speed and maneuverability are improved, but reliability in soft terrain is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The foot incorporates movable elements that can dynamically adjust their configuration based on terrain conditions. In soft terrain, the foot can deploy additional support surfaces or adjust its angle to distribute load, maintaining reliability while preserving the retractable design for flight performance
Solution Approach 2:
The landing gear system can change geometric parameters such as foot surface area, contact angle, and support leg extension based on detected terrain conditions. This adaptability ensures reliable operation in soft terrain while maintaining the retractable configuration for high-speed flight
3Device complexity
If fixed landing gear is used, then device complexity is reduced, but drag increases and fuel efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The landing gear system transitions from a static fixed structure to a dynamic retractable system that can change configuration between flight and landing states. The actuator-driven mechanism enables smooth transitions while maintaining structural integrity, achieving drag reduction without excessive complexity
4Area of stationary object
If landing gear is deployed, then support area is increased for stable landing, but aerodynamic drag increases
Solution Approach 1:
The landing gear system is divided into modular components: a retractable support leg with foot, a separate actuator mechanism, and a linkage system. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall simplicity, resolving the contradiction between retractability and complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The landing gear transitions from a static fixed structure to a dynamic retractable system that can change configuration between flight and landing states. The actuator-driven mechanism enables smooth transitions while maintaining structural integrity, achieving drag reduction without excessive complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A landing support assembly to at least partially support an aerial vehicle on a surface may include a strut extendable to a deployed state and retractable to a stowed state during flight. The strut may be configured to pivot with respect to a bracket coupled to the aerial vehicle between the deployed state and the stowed state. The landing support assembly further may include a strut actuator coupled to the strut via a linkage to cause the strut to pivot relative to the bracket. The landing support assembly also may include a foot coupled to an end of the strut remote from the bracket. The foot may be configured to change between a retracted state during flight having a first cross-sectional area and an at least partially splayed state for at least partially supporting the aerial vehicle and having a second cross-sectional area greater than the first cross-sectional area.