METHOD OF MANAGING A GROUND CONNECTION OF AN AIRCRAFT

• US 20110266388A1
• Filed: 04/19/2011
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran Landing Systems
• Original Assignee: Messier-Bugatti (Safran SA)
• Inventors: SORIN, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,727,274 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/50
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2025/008 Comprising means for modifying their length, e.g. for kneeling, for jumping, or for leveling the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/405 Powered wheels, e.g. for taxing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/80 Energy efficient operational measures, e.g. ground operations or mission management

Abstract

A method of managing a ground connection of an aircraft having landing gear with wheels that are subjected to static loads, some of which wheels are fitted with respective braking devices and others are fitted with respective independent drive devices, the method including the step of causing a modification to a distribution of the static loading to which the wheels of the landing gear are subjected in such a manner as to:

• • increase the loading on at least some wheels fitted with respective braking devices, during a braking stage; and
  • increase the loading on at least some wheels fitted with respective independent drive devices, during an independent drive stage.

Claims

1. A method of managing a ground connection of an aircraft having landing gear with wheels that are subjected to static loads, some of which wheels are fitted with respective braking devices and others are fitted with respective independent drive devices, wherein the method comprises the step of causing a modification to a distribution of the static loading to which the wheels of the landing gear are subjected in such a manner as to:

increase the loading on at least some wheels fitted with respective braking devices, during a braking stage; and

increase the loading on at least some wheels fitted with respective independent drive devices, during an independent drive stage.

2. A method according to claim 1, applied to an aircraft in which the wheels fitted with braking devices are carried by a first group of undercarriages while the wheels fitted with independent drive devices are carried by a second group of undercarriages, wherein extra loading is applied to the wheels of one or the other of the groups of undercarriages by modifying at least one operating parameter of the shock absorbers of the undercarriages of at least one of the groups of undercarriages.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein, during a braking stage, at least one functional parameter of the shock absorbers of the group of undercarriages having wheels that are fitted with independent drive devices is modified in order to reduce a stiffness of said shock absorbers, whereas during an independent drive stage, at least one operating parameter of the shock absorbers of the group of undercarriages having wheels fitted with braking devices is modified in order to reduce a stiffness of said shock absorbers.

4. A method according to claim 1, applied to an aircraft where the wheels fitted with braking devices are carried by a first group of undercarriages while the wheels fitted with independent drive devices are carried by a second group of undercarriages, wherein the undercarriages of both groups include kneeling devices, and wherein extra loading is applied to the wheels of one or the other of the groups of undercarriages by operating the kneeling devices of the undercarriages of at least one of the groups of undercarriages.