From: black.hole.4.spam{at}gmail.com (Don Hills)

In article , "Gary Britt"
 wrote:
>I was impressed with the pilot's ability to keep the plane on the back
>wheels for so long and put down the nose so softly.  I was also impressed
>that the nose landing gear didn't collapse.

He did an excellent job.

Provided that the gear was actually locked in the down position, it was
unlikely to collapse. It's designed strong enough to withstand the force of
locked brakes, and once the rubber burst there would only be the friction
of the metal parts which would be much lower. Provided the stub didn't
catch in a big pot-hole or concrete slab edge (unlikely on a properly
maintained runway at a major airport), it would hold (and it did).

Even if it collapsed, it wouldn't be a big problem. As I said earlier,
pilots do practice such landings in the simulator. It has happened often
enough in real life that the dynamics are well understood. Provided that
the main gear and brakes are functioning normally (and they were), the
result is usually spectacular but safe.

I watched a pilot land a small twin-prop commuter plane (a Bandeirante, I
think) at a local airport a few years ago. He managed to hold the nose up
so long (had trimmed tail heavy by moving the passengers to the back) that
when the nose finally did drop the plane slid only a few feet.

--
Don Hills    (dmhills at attglobaldotnet)     Wellington, New Zealand
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