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34 3. SHAPING THE BODY OF AN AIRCRAFT
If you need more wing sections than are present in the Wings dialog box, you can add more
sections using the Misc Wings dialog box, as described in the section “Adding More Wing Sections”
above.
3.5 Shaping the Landing Gear
The landing gear is created using the Landing Gear dialog box, which is opened from the Standard
menu.
Setting the Gear’s Type, Size, and Position
Landing gears come in a variety of configurations, ranging from simple metal skids, to a single wheel,
to groups of many wheels. Any landing gear needs to have its position on the aircraft specified,
and if the gear is retractable, it must have a retracted position that is different from its extended
position. The gear also must have a size—both its tire size and its strut length.
These properties of the gear are defined using the first tab of the Landing Gear dialog box,
labeled Gear Loc (that is, gear location). In this tab, you can create up to ten different gears. Each
gear has a column dedicated to setting its properties; Figure 3.32 highlights a single gear’s column.
Let’s walk through the settings for each gear.
Note: If you are using a retractable gear, you will want to do two things before trying to specify
the gear’s properties. First, move to the Gear Data tab of the Landing Gear dialog box and check
the box labeled ”gear is retractable.” Then, close the Landing Gear dialog box and click ”Show
with still/moving controls,” found in the Special menu. This will animate the gear as you work on
it, so you can see just how far it extends and retracts.
At the top of the Landing Gear dialog box’s Gear Loc tab is the gear type parameter. Click the
drop-down button and select from a wide array of wheel (or skid) configurations. A lateral wheel
configuration arranges the wheels side-by-side, while a truck configuration arranges them in rows.
A “long” wheel configuration arranges them one in front of another. Finally, note that any gears
you will not be using should have a type of “none” selected.
Next, beneath the gear type parameter are the three standard positional controls. These are, in
order, the longitudinal arm, the lateral arm, and the vertical arm. For information on using these
position controls, see the “Fundamental Concepts” section at the beginning of this chapter, which
discusses the reference point and its use in determining locations on the aircraft.
Following the standard position controls are the parameters determining the gear’s angle when
extended and retracted. There is a “gear extended” pair of parameters, and there is a “gear retracted”
pair. Each of the angles measures the gear strut’s deviation in degrees from being perfectly
vertical, lined up with the reference point.
In the case of the longitudinal angles, the parameters measure how far the gear is angled to
the fore of the reference point. Thus, if the gear needed to angle toward the aft of the reference
point, you would use a negative number here. Positive 90 degrees will angle the gear forward and
perfectly horizontal, while negative 90 degrees will angle it backward and horizontal.
In the case of the lateral angles, the parameters measure how far the gear’s strut is angled to the
right of the reference point. Thus, if the gear needed to angle to the left, you would use a negative
number. Positive 90 degrees will angle the gear to the right to be horizontal.
Following the gear’s extended and retracted angles is the leg length parameter. This sets the
length of the strut, or the “leg” of the gear, when it is extended. (For many aircraft, the extended
and retracted length will be the same; some, though, may compress the gear when retracting it.)