P-40 retraction test

[JohnB]

It's fun to see gear retract (well it is for me).
One of my favorites is the P-40 where the wheels pivot to lay flat. (Another one that's interesting is the system on the old high wing Cessnas...the gear hangs down and looks like duck feet).

Here is a short video of the Hangar 180 P-40N during its annual in Lewiston, Idaho.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_38GlOS ... wVit6yI1mA

The Skyraider uses a similar system.
I have read that the design was patented by Boeing and licensed to Curtiss.
Anyone know differently?

[Hooligan2]

Bearcat is interesting as well, that sort of double jointed hinging mechanism swinging the upper part of the leg outboard while bringing the rest inboard. Very clever people, design engineers!

Cessna singles do look weird as the gear comes up!

[Spitty]

Dont P47,s have a pretty wild retract as well?Or am I thinking Corsair?

[Hooligan2]

Yes Corsair legs rotate through 90 on retraction as do the Hellcat's...

[Cvairwerks]

Want to have your mind really warped, watch a B-58 gear cycle.

[Hooligan2]

B-58? Wow! Never even seen one let alone ever had the opportunity to see one fly...

https://youtu.be/rU0O44KZ220?si=FeDyXRY8PuiZPLck

C-5 is another twister...

https://youtu.be/fySoPgHITeY?si=Njl0ooPmpU8UEH3e

[Saville]

The B-58 is kind of reminiscent of the B-17 retraction.

[C VEICH]

Dont P47,s have a pretty wild retract as well?Or am I thinking Corsair?

The Jug gear "shrinks" as it retracts, aka, the strut is collapsed to fit into the well. Pretty sure the Corsair does the same thing. The Bearcat's articulated landing gear probably has the most dramatic method of shrinking the strut to fit within the limited confines of the wheel well.

[Ol Paint]

It's interesting the variety of ways engineers have come up with for retraction mechanisms:

XB-70 shares some moves with the C-5:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYJp90HZ7Zk

B-52 has a simple motion, but looks more complex than it really is:
https://youtu.be/lHGrMjoi23o?t=345

I didn't realize the B-1 had this level of complexity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXRl8thOfrY

C-17 is also interesting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcqvtCqz6IQ

F-111:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwPj7EQ_7Gg

Which is apparently similar to the Mi-24:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2h3DLfOq6E

This is a terrible rabbithole you guys opened...

Doug

[Noha307]

There's some really good illustrations of the Wildcat landing gear out there. They're apparently based on a model kit and, while not identical to the original, still show the geometry.

I have read that the design was patented by Boeing and licensed to Curtiss.
Anyone know differently?

See, I've wondered the same thing regarding the similarity between the F4F and O-52's mechanism.

The Ju 88 had a pretty funky design, IIRC, but I can't find a good illustration of it.

[JohnB]

Noha307

I'd wager the wheel in the fuselage configuration descended (no pun intended) from the unit on the Loening OL of the '20s which had not quite flush wheels.


The Grumman type A and B floats were the firm's first big sale to the Navy, equipping Vought O2U/O3U biplanes.
They featured the flat retracting wheels later seen in the FF fighter of 1930 and J2F Duck, not to mention the F2F/F3Fs and Goose, all well before the Wildcat.
So, it clearly predates the O-52.