Replies to post #55076 on Baltia Air Lines Inc. (fka BLTA)

[Robodog]

Carsmax,

I highly agree with your assessment. Although, I do know that there was a lot of chatter on the board about the landing gears being changed. I cannot confirm that other than what I saw on here on the board.

I have done a lot of drop tests on the Landing Gear for A700 Adamjet. The purpose of this test was to determine that the landing gear can withstand the impact of a load on the aircraft when it lands. I had designed the drop tower, to allow adjustments for weight purposes in case the design of the aircraft body's mass has changed, and it certainly has with fuel capacities as the company had decided to increase the range on the aircraft, which greatly influences the loads being applied to the landing gears.

The problem with that is when you want the aircraft to carry more weight, the landing gear will have to be heavier. For that reason, the walls that wraps around the cylinder pistons are thicker to withstand pressure/forces being applied to the landing gears.

If the Landing Gears are going to be changed, if that is true, it will not need a D Check. But it will be reviewed and certified by FAA on the installation.

The process of installing a landing gear are in a few simplifed steps.

1) Line up Gears to Trunnion Pin Locations in Wheel Well. (Trunnion Pins are heavy steel pins that can go up to 2 inches in diameter, depending on the loads it is required to handle.)

2) Attach Actuators from LG to Wheel Well. (This controls the retraction of the landing gear to Wheel Well.)

3) Connect eletrical wires to aircraft.

It's more complicated than what I just gave out, but the basic concept of installing is just that.


It would certainly delay the proving flights if the landing gears change rumors are true, if they started today. If they had started today, I will assume that it will take the Balita Maintenance Crew 1-2 months to make the changes.

But I have to ask this...Boeing designed this aircraft, so they know what the payload maximum load is for that type of aircraft. They already have designed the landing gears to withstand that maximum load. Why change the landing gears for an airframe that is designed to the maximum payload, where it cannot go anymore than what Boeing has designed it for?

IN other words, I am not buying the fact that it is changing the landing gears.