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As an introduction to this document, reference is made to two previous SAE articles by the writer. * Special Purpose Landing Gear, -- A Survey of Historical Designs. (SAE Technical Paper Series: 932579). * Landing Gear Development for Aircraft Exceeding One Million Pounds. (SAE Technical Paper Series: 942124) These SAE documents were also published as part of the book on “Emerging Technologies in Aircraft Landing Gear.” (Ref: SAE PT - 66) edited by: John A. Tanner, Paul C. Uirich, John P. Medzorian, and David L. Morris. Each of these documents stress the importance of the landing gear system design to the performance of an aircraft. This document is intended to continue this train of thought, and to further illustrate how the landing gear system can also contribute to the overall economic and functional success particularly in regard to new large aircraft.

Despite present day economic uncertainty, an increase in the future demands for air travel is anticipated by the worlds' leading commercial aircraft manufacturers. This is resulting in many design investigations of aircraft with gross take-off weights ranging from 900,000lb to 1,600,000lb. Assuming that current marketing predictions to be correct, and the available power plants being sufficient to satisfy the flight efficiency and range requirements, the most formidable challenge to the success of such large and heavy aircraft may well exist on the ground. Existing military aircraft, which may have take-off weights higher than 1,600,000lb. will not be compared in this document. This is due to the possible lower life cycle expectancy of military landing gear, and differences in runway strength and maintenance of military airfields.

A landing gear system comprises a more compelling assembly of engineering skills than most other mechanical systems in the aircraft industry. Its importance to the successful design of an aircraft, ranks second only to the aircraft's’ wings and engines. It consists of several different engineering disciplines, and is continually in the public eye with regard to safety. In 1986, S.A.E. Committee 5 created a panel of their members to compose a historical account of special purpose landing gear designs. Not a great deal of progress was made for quite a few years, at least not in terms of a publishable document. In 1991, it became apparent that a historical account in itself, did not have much objectivity unless the paper provided a certain amount of technical information. Such information had to be authentic, have an indexing system, and some form of categorization of the gear system or features.