The United States Air Force's Landing Gear Systems Center of Excellence - A Unique Capability

Abstract

Military and commercial airborne systems are carefully designed, developed, and manufactured to be safe, reliable, and effectively meet the mission for which they are intended. Test and evaluation is one of the fundamental components of the systems development process that assures the user that a system will do its job right the first time and every time. The means and source of testing becomes a key consideration for every aircraft system designer, developer, and user. Aircraft landing gear systems is one system where test and evaluation is generally required, and must be done carefully and accurately. It is also a parasitic system, in that adds weight and complexity without increasing the payload, which may result in more and less attention than it deserves. If this system does not do its job properly and completely, however, aircraft effectiveness may be limited to a single flight. For landing gear systems and components design, development and test, the US Air Force’s Landing Gear Systems Center of Excellence (LGSCE) is a unique national treasure. Within the walls of its historic building resides the world’s only capability to test all landing gear systems and all their components, including the wheels, brakes, tires, struts, and actuators, both statically and dynamically. The LGSCE, including its capable and qualified test engineering, instrumentation, and test support, and the major test equipment resources, is independent and totally focused on providing test results and information which is clear, accurate, complete, and unbiased by any consideration other than testing. The LGSCE’s reports provide the recipient with the complete, accurate, and reliable information with which to make reasoned and factually based design, configuration and performance decisions. This paper describes the infrastructure contained within the US Air Force’s LGSCE and how its resources are being applied to improving conceptual and developmental landing gear systems, sustaining and improving existing military and commercial landing gear systems and component design, development, test, integration, and failure investigation efforts. U.S. Air Force T&E Days 13 15 February 2007, Destin, Florida AIAA 2007-1638 Copyright © 2007 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. The U.S. Government has a royalty-free license to exercise all rights under the copyright claimed herein for Governmental purposes. All other rights are reserved by the copyright owner. 2 of 18 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Approved for public release distribution is unlimited LGSCE 20070119 Table of