An In-house S&T

Bulletin of DRDO

www.drdo.gov.in Vol 28 | Issue 5 | October 2020 ISSN No. 0971-4413

RETRACTABLE LANDING
GEAR SYSTEM
Technology Focus
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Technology Focus focuses on the technological achievements in the

organization covering the products, processes and technologies.

October 2020 Vol. 2| Issue 5

Local Correspondents
ISSN No. 0971-4413
Agra Shri S.M. Jain, ADRDE
Ahmednagar Shri S. Muthukrishnan, VRDE
Editor-in-Chief: Dr Alka Suri Ambernath Dr Susan Titus, NMRL
Assoc Editor-in-Chief: B. Nityanand Bengaluru Shri Subbukutti S., ADE
Managing Editor: Manoj Kumar Smt M.R. Bhuvaneswari, CABS
Editor: Dipti Arora Smt Faheema A.G.J., CAIR
Designing: Raj Kumar, Printing: SK Gupta Shri R. Kamalakannan, CEMILAC
Ms Josephine Nirmala, DARE
Shri Kiran G., GTRE
Dr Sushant Chhatre, MTRDC
Chandigarh Shri Neeraj Srivastava, TBRL
Dr H.S. Gusain, SASE
Chennai Smt S Jayasudha, CVRDE
Dehradun Shri Abhai Mishra, DEAL
Dr S.K. Mishra, IRDE
Delhi Shri Amit Pasi, CFEES
Dr Dipti Prasad, DIPAS
Dr Nidhi Maheshwari, DIPR
Shri Ram Prakash, DTRL
Shri Navin Soni, INMAS
Shri Anurag Pathak, ISSA
Dr D.P. Ghai, LASTEC
Ms Noopur Shrotriya, SAG
Dr Rachna Thakur, SSPL
Gwalior Shri R.K. Srivastava, DRDE
Haldwani Dr Atul Grover, DIBER
Dr Ranjit Singh
Hyderabad Dr J.K. Rai, ANURAG
Shri A.R.C. Murthy, DLRL
Dr Manoj Kumar Jain, DMRL
Readers may send their suggestions to Dr K Nageswara Rao, DRDL
Jodhpur Shri Ravindra Kumar, DL
The Editor, Technology Focus Kanpur Shri A.K. Singh, DMSRDE
DESIDOC, Metcalfe House Kochi Smt Letha M.M., NPOL
Delhi-110 054 Leh Dr Tsering Stobden, DIHAR
Telephone: 011-23902403, 23902472 Pune Shri A.K. Pandey, ARDE
Fax: 011-23819151; 011-23813465 Dr J.A. Kanetkar
E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; Dr Himanshu Shekhar, HEMRL
[email protected] Dr Anoop Anand, R&DE(E)
Internet: www.drdo.gov.in/technology-focus Tezpur Dr Sibnarayan Datta, DRL
Dr Sonika Sharma

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From the Desk of Guest Editor

Dear Readers,
Unmanned warfare across land, sea, and air will soon be the new norm. Unmanned
Air Vehicles (UAVs) have become quintessential inventory of modern armed forces for
surveillance reconnaissance and combat. Technologies for unmanned systems would
be in the “Technology denial class”. Hence, it is essential to indigenously develop
these technologies. One such technology of UAV is Retractable Landing Gear (RLG)
System. DRDO's Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (CVRDE)
has indigenously developed RLG System for Beyond Horizon Long Endurance Aerial
Surveillance Vehicle Tapas.
The landing gear system is the most critical multi-disciplinary engineering system of the aircraft required
for smooth take-off and safe landing of the aircraft. CVRDE started the design of RLG System abinitio without
having prior knowledge base.
The RLG is a complex multi-disciplinary system involving mechanical, hydraulics, electronics, software and
control engineering. It comprises a tricycle retractable landing gear with a steerable nose wheel. The tricycle
landing gear consists an Oleo-pneumatic shock absorber along with hydraulic actuators and retraction
mechanism for deployment/retraction, landing gear controller with software, wheel and brake system and
nose wheel steering. All these sub-systems, after Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC )
certification need to be integrated in the aircraft finally.
For the development of RLG System, CVRDE's in-house customised test facilities are being used for testing of
hydro-gas suspension of Arjun MBT. An integration test facility was established to evaluate the hydraulic system,
retraction and deployment mechanism, hydraulic actuator and locking mechanisms of landing gear. Innovative
project management, cross-functional teams, alternate technologies, adapting existing infrastructure test
facilities for critical sub-systems, right from raw materials to finished products including testing and evaluation
were used to achieve the target.
The need to design RLG with optimal weight/volume accommodating with the bay volume, high performance,
adequate fatigue life and reduced life cycle cost, complying with the airworthiness and safety requirements
posed many challenges to the design team. The team took up the challenge and successfully developed the
system. The system, after certification by Centre for Military Airworthiness & Certification (CEMILAC) has been
integrated in Tapas and has so far completed 26 flights successfully.
CVRDE is currently engaged in development of RLG systems for 1 ton class UAV and 25 ton class Advanced
Medium Combat Aircraft. I am happy that this issue of Technology Focus would provide an insight into the
design and development of Retractable Landing Gear System at CVRDE.

V. Balamurugan
Outstanding Scientist & Director, CVRDE

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Retractable Landing Gear System

Combat Vehicles Research and (two main landing gears and one
Development Establishment (CVRDE) nose landing gear) with a steerable
successfully developed the Hydrogas nose wheel consists of major sub-
Suspension System, Transmission systems, like hydrogas shock absorber
System and Gun Control System of
Arjun MBT and number of important
Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) of LCA
Tejas like Aircraft Mounted Accessory
Gear Box (AMAGB), Power Take-Off
(PTO) Shaft, Hydraulic Filters, and 5
kW DC Generator. CVRDE is the nodal
establishment for the development of
retractable Landing Gear System (LGS)
for Tapas UAV. The establishment
executed this project and established
the technologies required for the
retractable LGS. Limited Qualification
Tests (LQTs) on Main Landing Gear
(MLG), Nose Landig Gear (NLG),
hydraulic retraction actuator, landing
NLG
gear controller hardware and software,
landing gear relay module and nose
wheel steering actuator.
Since the weight of the Tapas UAV
airframe with diesel engine configuration MLG
is higher. Design of LGS existing needed
upgradation to higher all-up weight and
establishment of its production source
as per the requirement. CVRDE has
upgraded the MLG and NLG shock
struts and fork and axles design. Two
MLGs after the qualification tests have
been integrated with Tapas. Flight trials
of which are in progress.

Landing Gear System

The main function of the landing gear
is safe take-off and landing of UAV in
various environmental and operational
scenarios with the support of external
pilot. A tricycle type Retractable LGS
Landing gear system for Tapas UAV

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strut, hydraulic actuation system with the oil and gas leakage. Oil and gas
sensors, wheel and brake and nose charging valve provisions are made for
wheel steering system, mechanism for oil and gas charging.
retraction and deployment and landing
gear controller for the landing gear
Hydro-Gas Shock Strut
retraction and deployment operations Retraction/deployment mechanism
and its health monitoring. consists of hydraulic actuator, upper

Retractable Landing and lower drag braces, uplock,

Gear Sub-systems downlock and linkages connecting the

door to the mechanism. The retraction/
The purpose of MLG/NLG which deployment action is triggered by the
consists of hydrogas shock strut landing gear controller. The retraction
integrated with wheel and brake system of the landing gear system is powered
is to absorb and dissipate the landing by a hydraulic system that includes
impact load to safeguard aircraft and its hydraulic actuators, a hydraulic power
onboard system and also to support the pack, hydraulic valves, tubing and
aircraft during ground maneuvering. The mechanism linkages. These units are
shock strut uses nitrogen combined with interconnected in such a way that they
hydraulic fluid to absorb and dissipate operate with logic and sequence to
impact loads. A tapered metering pin retract and deploy the landing gear,
with orifice plate arrangement control including doors. The details about the
rate of fluid flow from the upper cylinder hydraulic system as shown in the figure.
Hydraulic System
to lower cylinder to achieve non-linear
damping.
A floating piston is provided
to separate the oil and gas. The
compression of nitrogen gas provides
non-linear stiffness. Seals are provided
in the sliding piston and floating to arrest

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Hydraulic System valves and the control flow would be and fittings connecting reservoir and
given to hydraulic actuators which actuator.
The Landing Gear Hydraulics would convert hydraulic energy into The system has an emergency
(LGH) of Tapas employs hydraulics motion and force. mode of operation which employs a
as the mode of power transfer. The The hydraulic system also actuates pre-charged pneumatic bottle to actuate
hydraulics system is shown in the block the brakes which are installed on the retraction actuator and brakes, in case
diagram. The hydraulic power source main landing gears. The hydraulic the hydraulic power source fails to
develops hydraulic energy in terms of power system consists of a power pack, operate.
flow and pressure. This energy would manifold block installed with the control
be controlled by hydraulic flow control valves, hydraulic actuator and piping

RLG Hydraulics System of Tapas UAV

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Block diagram of RLG Hydraulics system of TAPAS UAV

Schematic of RLG Hydraulics system of Tapas UAV

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RLG Retraction actuator of Tapas UAV

Landing Gear
Controller
Landing Gear Controller (LGC) is
designed and developed to perform
retraction and deployment of landing
gear and applying brake by switching
ON the hydraulic pump and the valves
based on the command from Flight
Control Computer (FCC). Also to monitor
the status of various sensors like the
weight on wheel, wheel speed, landing
gear up and down locks, temperature
and pressure.

Block diagram of Landing Gear Controller

Landing Gear Controller

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zz Hydraulic Extension status to FCC
zz Hydraulic Retraction zz Redundancy Management (RM) of
zz Emergency Extension all the sensors and the system

zz Hydraulic Continuous Braking zz The autonomous decision of

hydraulic and pneumatic during
zz Hydraulic Intermittent Braking
braking and actuation through PWM
zz Emergency Continuous Braking
outputs
zz Emergency Intermittent Braking
zz Performs Power on Self Test
In an operational state, LGC shall (POST), Initiated Pre-flight Built-in
do redundancy management of the limit Test (PBIT) and Continuous Built-in
switch, pressure sensor, wheel speed Test (CBIT) functionalities
and discrete output. In the background,
zz Communicate the parameters to
LGC shall do Continuous Built-in Test
telemetry
(CBIT), Pre-flight Built-in Test (PBIT)
LGC software interacts with the
and Operator in Loop Built-in Test
RFCC through MIL1553B interfaces.
(OLBIT).
LGC software reads the pressure
LGC Software sensors, temperature sensor and
current sensor values through ADC
The LGC software interacts with
interface, processes the data and
the FCC through MIL1553B interfaces.
performs data sanity checks.
The LGC software receives the
The software will be implemented
command from the FCC for landing
using C and assembly language and
gear deployment, retraction and braking
compiled using Green Hills Multi
and sends back the status to the FCC.
Landing Gear Controller Compiler, Software for the landing gear
The LGC software switches on/off the
controller to meet the requirements
hydraulic power pack and monitors the
LGC Hardware health of the hydraulic power pack by
of DO 178B level A safety level
standard, which deals with software
As LGC being a critical sub- reading the current sensor, pressure
considerations in airborne systems and
system used for controlling the landing sensor and temperature sensor through
equipment certification. The developed
gear operation, a dual redundant analog interfaces.
software will undergo verification and
microcontroller is designed and The LGC software performs the
validation and independent verification
developed. In this scheme, two MPC following functionalities:
and validation process with SW.
5554 based controllers (Main and Stand zz Perform operations like retraction,
by – Controller A&B) reside on the deployment, brake, emergency Landing Gear Relay
same chassis. One is the hot standby deployment, emergency brake Module
of the other. Under normal operation, based on FCC command
Controller-A, which is the main, will be Landing gear Relay Module (LGRM)
zz Activates the landing gear subsystem
active and issues the signals. During is designed to Power on hydraulic
assemblies like hydraulic-power
this state, Controller-B (standby) powerpack pump motor based on the
pack, retraction, deployment, brake,
continuously monitors the data on the discrete commands from LGC, monitor
bypass and emergency valves
bus and acts as hot standby. In the the motor current and hydraulic oil
zz Monitors the sub-system assembly
operational state, LGC shall look for temperature continuously. Relays within
like wheel speed, weight on wheel,
the RFCC commands and perform the LGRM shall be independently powered
hydraulic pressures, valves pressure
various operational sequences namely, by Alternator Bus A and Alternator Bus B.
and limit switches and post the

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The LGRM shall take the dual discrete The upper and lower cylinders of the all the hydraulic elements like pump
output command from Processor A and shock strut being a long one posed a and motor, valves, filters, distribution
Processor B of LGC. The LGRM shall challenge for machining confirming to block, reservoirs and hoses and fittings
power on the hydraulic pump motor geometric dimensioning and tolerance have been finalized based on the
using Main Relay A or Main Relay B. (GD&T) requirements and the same design requirements. The design and
has been achieved with proper tooling. development of the hydraulic actuators
Challenges Faced The seals which are critical element in have been done with due consideration
During the Design the shock strut have been indigenously of endurance requirements.
and Development of developed and validated. The MLG/
Landing Gear System NLG shock struts designs have been
Landing gear controller was
developed with completely customized
The development team prepared analyzed and optimized through detailed MIL grade PCBs using dual redundant,
different configuration layouts and finite element simulations, for various hot standby configuration. As LG C being
analyzed their implication and with due types of landing loads estimated as per a critical subsystem, control the landing
consideration of space constraints in the FAR 23 Standards to ensure adequate gear operation, dual redundant digital
undercarriage bay volume and various factors of safety and fatigue life. computer-based avionics architecture
aircraft parameters. Aircraft wheel and brake assembly is is adopted. Standby switch over based
The retractable LGS layout was another critical module of a landing gear on watchdog timer, built-in test features,
finalized, after the number of iterations system. The design team has analyzed fault detection and isolation of individual
considering overall aircraft dimensions the kind of loads experienced on the channel, redundancy management
and clearance requirement at static system during taxing and landing. The of sensors and discrete outputs, MIL-
and failure modes. Based on the total kinetic energy level is calculated 1553B communication and redundant
design requirement specifications and for normal landing and take-off and cross channel communication are the
overall aircraft dimensions, load on the rejected take-off conditions. The tyre other features included considering
MLG and NLG under various landing has been chosen based on the wheel highest safety requirements. The
conditions have been estimated using size. The fork and axle have been customized configuration has helped in
the FAR 23 Standard. designed and developed for aircraft bringing the complete controller within
The shock strut stroke was estimated landing loads. A nose wheel steering an optimized weight of 3.5 kg. The
based on the aircraft sink velocity. system is designed to provide aircraft LGC software has been developed in-
Design of metering pin and damper control during ground operations with a house as per the requirements of ADE,
orifice to absorb the loads within the four-bar linkage mechanism to transfer following stringent DO178B Level-A
allowable rate is a challenge and the the power from an electromechanical safety standards.
actuator to wheel through torsion links.
design has been innovated through Development of
mathematical system modeling and A mechanism has been designed and
Airworthy Prototypes
simulation. These detailed simulations developed for retraction of the landing
and Qualification
in the initial stage of design have helped gear after take-off, and deployment of
Testing
in achieving the first time right design. the landing gear before landing within
Instead of having a fixed orifice, a the stipulated time. The retraction/ Detailed manufacturing drawings
variable orifice design is implemented in deployment mechanism was simulated were made and coordinated with the
an innovative way that provides variable through detailed multi-body dynamics CEMILAC, airworthy raw materials
nonlinear damping enabling uniform simulations and is designed innovatively have been identified, sourced
absorption of landing impact energy so that the same hydraulic actuator and the prototypes manufactured.
and to realize the variable orifice, an used for retraction/deployment is used The components were kit cleared,
innovative self-centering mechanism is for releasing the uplock and operating assembled in coordination with the
deployed. the landing gear bay door. A detailed Regional Directorate of Aeronautical
hydraulic circuit has been designed and Quality Assurance (RDAQA).

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Ingeniously modified MBT suspension and strength testing in coordination certified the landing gears for integration
test facilities already available to test with RDAQA and the reports are into Tapas UAV. Two sets of airworthy
landing gear assembly with suitable coordinated with CEMILAC and landing gears have been handed over
adaptations for mounting MLG and RDAQA. Based on the test reports to ADE for aircraft integration.
NLG. Suitable adaptations were also and analysis reports CEMILAC has
done innovatively for three directional
loading of the landing gear.
Some unique facilities like hydraulic
actuator endurance test facility, Snub-
test facility, harness endurance test
facility, were developed in-house for
qualification testing of landing gear
systems. For performance testing of
landing gear controller an innovative
test jig has been developed and used.
CVRDE established an integration
test facility to evaluate the hydraulic
system retraction and deployment
mechanism, hydraulic actuator and
locking mechanisms of the landing gear.
The landing gear sub-systems
such as MLG/NLG shock struts,
retraction/deployment mechanisms,
hydraulic retraction actuators, landing
gear controller and harnesses were
subjected to about 70 numbers of Landing gear spring curve test Snub test – MLG
qualification tests, including drop testing

Testing of LGS in Integration Test Rig

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Drop testing of MLG Drop testing of NLG Strength testing of MLG

Landing gear controller testing

Harness bend test

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First set of Landing Gear Second set of Landing Gear

Flight Clearance
from CEMILAC and and completed the LSTT and HSTT successfully completed sixteen flights

Flight Trials successfully. Based on the LSTT and

HSTT performance, flight clearance
with 11 in fixed mode and 5 in retracted
mode.
certificate obtained from CEMILAC and
After obtaining the integration
clearance from CEMILAC, the MLG
and NLG landing gear have been
integrated into the Airframe-5 and 6.
The retractable LGS after integration
into the aircraft, Low-speed Taxi Trial
(LSTT) and High-speed Taxi Trials
(HSTT) have carried out before the
first flight. During the taxi trials, the
brake performance, aircraft stopping
distance, hydraulic system functional
performance, landing gear controller
hardware and software performance,
all the limit switches performance and
retraction and deployment mechanism
components performance in the Landing Gear integrated
deployment mode have been evaluated

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First Flight

MLG for 1 ton class UAV

Retractable mode flight

NLG for 1 ton class UAV

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TECHNOLOGY FOCUS
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Design Upgradation
and Productionisation
of LGS The delivered landing gear system
tons. The MLG and NLG design has
Based on the ADE’s requirement, been upgraded and optimized for the integrated into the AF6-A aircraft after
CVRDE has taken up design up- weight and airworthy MLG and NLG the CEMILAC clearance and completed
gradation and productionisation of are manufactured. Limited qualification 10 flights successfully.
landing gear system for Tapas UAV tests have been completed for MLG and
with an increased all-up weight of 2.85 NLG and delivered to ADE.

Way Ahead
Design and
Development of 1 ton
and 25 ton LGS
ADE projected a requirement to The main intent of SWiFT UAV is to expertise gained and milestones achieved
develop a retractable landing gear demonstrate and prove the stealth in the design and development of LGS
system for 1 ton class Stealth Wing technology and high-speed landing for 2 ton class UAV, landing gears for
Flying Testbed (SWiFT) UAV, which technology in autonomous mode. The 25 ton class twin-engine Fighter Aircraft
is under development. SWiFT UAV is landing gear design has been completed AMCA, has been takenup based on
a Technology Demonstrator and is a and the manufacturing of the airworthy ADA's requirements and design phase
scaled-down version of Ghatak UCAV components are under progress. has started.
(Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle). Based on the experience and domain

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