Landing gear is an essential part of nearly all airplanes. With the exception of seaplanes, most airplanes have wheel-based landing gear. It allows them to roll on the runway when taking off or landing.
There are different types of landing gear, however. While most commercial airliners have retractable landing gear, regional airliners and other small airplanes often have fixed landing gear.
Overview of Fixed Landing Gear
Fixed landing gear is an aircraft landing gear system that doesn’t retract. It’s commonly found on small airplanes.
Whether retractable or fixed, all landing gear systems allow airplanes to safely land. Retractable landing gear, though, can retract into the airplane’s fuselage, whereas fixed landing gear cannot. Instead, fixed landing gear lives up to its namesake by maintaining a fixed, static position at all times.
Tricycle vs Tailwheel Fixed Landing Gear
There are two primary types of fixed landing gear: tricycle and tailwheel. Tricycle is the most common. It’s characterized by one wheel near the nose of the airplane and two rear wheels. Tricycle landing gear allows for smoother, more stable takeoffs and landings, which is why so many pilots prefer it.
Tailwheel landing gear is essentially the opposite configuration. It still features three wheels. Tailwheel landing gear, however, features two wheels near the nose of the airplane and a single, smaller wheel near the tail. Tailwheel landing gear is designed for rough terrains, making it ideal for bush airplanes that take off from and land on unpaved runways.
Benefits of Fixed Landing Gear
Fixed landing gear offers several benefits, one of which is simplicity. It features fewer moving parts than its retractable counterpart. Retractable landing gear, for instance, is typically powered by hydraulics. It uses pressurized fluid to deploy and retract the wheels. Fixed landing gear doesn’t require the use of pressurized fluid. Instead, the wheels are fixed and remain extended.
Because it’s simple, fixed landing gear is easier to maintain than retractable landing gear. All landing gear systems require regular maintenance. But fixed landing gear has fewer parts, and without any hydraulics or even electrical components, it requires less maintenance than retractable landing gear.
Another benefit of fixed landing gear is safety. Since the wheels are always down, there’s little or no risk of malfunction. Pilots don’t have to worry about the wheels failing to deploy when landing.
In Conclusion
Landing gear can be classified as retractable or fixed depending on whether it can be deployed and retracted. Retractable landing gear can be deployed and retracted via hydraulics, whereas fixed landing gear cannot.
