Question:
Why do airplane test flights have their landing gear out during flight?
fsxuser
2010-01-10 20:20:31 UTC
I was wondering because I saw the first test flight for the first made 747 and they had their landing gear out during flight.
Seven answers:
Tina Leonova
2010-01-10 20:40:09 UTC
They are testing whether the plane can take off, fly controllably, and land. They test the landing gear operation (a whole other can of worms) later.
eferrell01
2010-01-11 09:16:39 UTC
First flights of any aircraft are the most critical in the flight test program. There are a lot of things to do to properly test an aircraft, and the fewer you do at once, the better test you will have. If you start with the gear down and locked, leave it that way, it is one less thing to worry about when you are just trying to determine how well it will fly. If any malfrugalties occur that need to be addressed on the first flight, the gear may not be cycled on subsequent flights. If the gear is down and locked, you will not need to worry if you have some sort of problem that requires an immediate landing.
tyghor
2010-01-10 21:09:39 UTC
Flight test programs are designed to incrementally explore the capability of the aircraft. On most flight test programs, the landing gear remain down during the first flight mostly as a safety precaution because there is no need to actually raise them. However, if you review the first flight of the 787, they actually tested the landing gear on the first flight.
buckreis
2016-12-18 12:12:00 UTC
relies upon on what you propose by skill of airplane. George Cayley of england became into experimenting with gliders long previously the Wright Bros. have been born. He rather have been given them to fly too, using his servant as attempt pilot. Then there became into Langley interior the U.S. He equipped a no longer-too useful airplane that flew over the Potomac River. Otto Lillienthal became into additionally experimenting at concerning the comparable time through fact the Wright Bros. besides the undeniable fact that, the preacher's sons from Dayton have been the 1st to get it astounding. They found out that an airplane had to be controllable in all 3 axes, horizontal, vertical and longitudinal. in addition they did what no person previously them had, launch an airplane, fly it and have it land at an elevation equivalent to or greater beneficial than its launch top. in addition they chosen the terrific area, the Kill devil hills of Kitty Hawk N.C. have the utmost sustained winds interior the U.S., a actuality they found out from the U.S. Meteorlogical provider. sensible boys, those.
myhippiedaddy
2010-01-10 20:40:24 UTC
Alot of times it is to see how much drag the gear being in down and lock will affect the air craft in flight. thay check the drag and the yaw. Landing gear cause a lot of drag. like the 747 had 4 main trucks insted of 2 like most air craft it like driveing dow the road ad 60 mph and opening the door what would the car do.
anonymous
2010-01-10 20:51:00 UTC
Safety
jonathan
2010-01-10 20:34:01 UTC
they do that to test the durability of the landing gear


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