COMPACT SHIMMY DAMPER FOR AIRCRAFT LANDING GEAR
A shimmy damper for aircraft landing gear is provided. The shimmy damper comprises a housing, a rotor with a vane provided within the housing, and first and second fluid chambers, connected by a control orifice and separated from one another by the vane.
1 . A shimmy damper for aircraft landing gear, the shimmy damper comprising:
a housing;
a rotor with a vane provided within the housing; and
first and second fluid chambers connected by a control orifice and separated from one another by the vane.
2 . The shimmy damper of claim 1 , wherein the control orifice has a fixed cross-section channel.
3 . The shimmy damper of claim 1 , wherein the control orifice has a variable cross-section channel.
4 . The shimmy damper of claim 3 , wherein the variable cross-section channel is provided by one or more servo valves.
5 . The shimmy damper of claim 1 , wherein the control orifice further comprises one or more one-way restrictor valves.
6 . The shimmy damper of claim 1 , further comprising at least one slide bearing for enabling landing gear parts to move in a substantially parallel relationship to one another without any significant damping action therebetween.
7 . A steerable landing gear wheel train unit for an aircraft, the steerable landing gear wheel train unit comprising a shimmy damper fitted within a landing gear oleo, wherein the shimmy damper comprises:
a housing;
a rotor with a vane provided within the housing; and
first and second fluid chambers connected by a control orifice and separated from one another by the vane.
8 . The steerable landing gear wheel train unit of claim 7 , wherein hydraulic fluid in the landing gear oleo is used to supply the shimmy damper.
9 . The steerable landing gear wheel train unit of claim 7 , wherein the housing is shaped to fit within the landing gear oleo such that rotation therebetween is substantially eliminated.
10 . A method of fitting a shimmy damper to aircraft landing gear, the shimmy damper comprising a housing, a rotor with a vane provided within the housing, first and second fluid chambers connected by a control orifice and separated from one another by the vane, the method comprising:
providing the shimmy damper such that it lies wholly within a landing gear oleo.
11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
shaping an internal surface of the landing gear oleo to conform to an outer surface of the housing of the shimmy damper; and
fixing the shimmy damper within the landing gear oleo such that the shimmy damper lies wholly therein.