Aircraft landing gear testing

By its rapid response to a request to carry out a series of mechanical tests, TWI helped an Industrial Member Company to complete a contract on schedule.

TWI was asked to help with tests on 22 large welded undercarriage components. The availability of a servo-hydraulic universal testing machine, with 1750kN capacity and the necessary operating personnel meant that testing could begin within two days of the first contact.

The components tested formed part of the landing gear for the McDonnell Douglas MD11 aircraft. Fabricated by the client in 300M ultra-high-strength steel, they were flash welded in a computer-controlled machine to engineering dimensional tolerance. They were then examined by magnetic particle inspection (MPI) and heat treated before transfer to TWI for proof loading. Specified as being to 60% of UTS, this test on two designs of component required application of tensile loads of 1400 or 1600kN to parts over 1m long.

On return on time to the fabricators, the landing gear parts were re-examined by MPI to confirm weld integrity after proof loading, before they moved on smoothly to the next stage in their manufacture.

For more information relating to aerospace testing contact aerospace@twi.co.uk.