Abstract: A fabric includes a base pattern having at least twenty-eight weft fibers disposed in a staggered configuration and forming eight columns that comprise in alteration four weft fibers and three weft fibers, the weft fibers extending in seven layers. The fabric further includes at least twelve warp fibers disposed in at least four offset parallel planes, each of the planes containing at least three parallel warp fibers that follow paths that are distinct from one another.

Abstract: The invention relates to a shock absorber for an aircraft undercarriage, the shock absorber comprising a main cylinder in which a rod is mounted to slide telescopically, the shock absorber having one or more pneumatic chambers filled with gas, a supply of hydraulic fluid, and throttle means for throttling the hydraulic fluid such that when the shock absorber is shortened, the gas in the pneumatic chamber(s) is compressed and the hydraulic fluid is throttled, in which the pneumatic chamber(s) is/are fully contained in one or more auxiliary cylinders external to the main cylinder, and in each of which a sealed piston is slidably mounted to separate a pneumatic chamber contained in said external auxiliary cylinder from a fluid chamber in fluid flow communication with the main cylinder. According to the invention, the throttle means are disposed at the inlet of a fluid flow connection between the main cylinder and the auxiliary cylinder(s).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of fabricating a composite material connecting rod, the method comprising the step of cutting out a pattern presenting two opposite edges from a composite fiber fabric made up of a plurality of superposed primary plies that are bonded together in such a manner that the primary plies can slide relative to one another, rolling the pattern into a tube in such a manner that the primary plies slide relative to one another to give a chamfer shape to the two edges, and joining together the chamfer-shaped edges so that they overlap.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of fabricating a lug on a structural element of composite material made at least locally out of a stack of primary plies of composite fibers defining at least one extension for forming the lug. The method includes the step of separating the primary plies at least in the extension and of inserting intermediate plies between the primary plies.

Abstract: A damper for an airplane landing gear leg comprises a main strut (11) and a rod piston (13) co-operating with the strut (11) to define a main chamber (15) and annular chamber (16) for hydraulic fluid, and presenting internally two adjacent chambers (19, 20) that are isolated from each other by a separator piston (21). The damper (10) further comprises a first secondary strut (26) telescopically Slidable on the above-mentioned rod piston (13), and a second secondary strut (37) telescopically slidable on the other end of the first secondary strut (26). The two second annular chambers (31, 40) as defined in this way are respectively connected to associated control circuits thus enabling the total length of the damper to be shortened or lengthened respectively for the purpose of causing the landing gear to contract or to be extended.

Abstract: A landing gear includes a shock absorber having first and second elements slidable relative to each other, the slidable elements defining an inside volume which is filled in part with hydraulic fluid so as to leave a first chamber filled with gas under pressure and located at the end of one of the slidable elements. A vessel filled with gas under pressure is housed in the end and is provided with a shutter member that is initially in a closed state and that is suitable for taking up a stable open state when the pressure in the first chamber exceeds the pressure in the vessel by a predetermined threshold amount.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of forming the inside wall of a support bearing of given height H and suitable for receiving a cylindrical portion of a cylindrical element for co-operating with the inside wall, said method comprising the steps of estimating a deflection f taken up by the cylindrical element between the center and one of the ends of the support bearing, estimating a nominal radius R using the relationship R=H2/8f, determining an inside wall for the support bearing that occupies a toroidal surface having a throat diameter equal to a diameter of the cylindrical element, ignoring predetermined clearance, and having a meridian radius lying in a range of ±15% about the nominal radius R, and machining the support bearing in such a manner that its inside wall occupies the toroidal surface as determined in this way.

Abstract: A damper for an airplane landing gear leg comprises a main strut (11) and a rod piston (13) co-operating with the strut (11) to define a main chamber (15) and annular chamber (16) for hydraulic fluid, and presenting internally two adjacent chambers (19, 20) that are isolated from each other by a separator piston (21). The damper (10) further comprises a first secondary strut (26) telescopically slidable on the above-mentioned rod piston (13), and a second secondary strut (37) telescopically slidable on the other end of the first secondary strut (26). The two second annular chambers (31, 40) as defined in this way are respectively connected to associated control circuits thus enabling the total length of the damper to be shortened or lengthened respectively for the purpose of causing the landing gear to contract or to be extended.

Abstract: Retractable landing gear for an aircraft, the landing gear being of the type that is raised vertically, and comprising a plurality of independent legs, each leg comprising a structural part rigidly secured to a structure of the aircraft, a pivoting rocker beam supporting a pair of wheels, and a shock absorber. In accordance with the invention, the shock absorber of each leg is extended by a positioning portion enabling the total length of the extended shock absorber to be shortened in order to collapse the leg, and each leg further comprises a positioning actuator connected in hinged manner to the extended shock absorber and arranged to lengthen relative to a normal use position in order to lengthen the corresponding leg. This makes it possible to shorten and/or lengthen one or another of the legs of the landing gear while the aircraft is stationary or taxiing slowly.

Abstract: An aircraft landing gear includes a leg having a strut receiving a telescopic rod to slide on a sliding axis, the strut being hinged to an aircraft structure and being capable of pivoting about a pivot axis that is highly offset from the sliding axis. The landing gear further includes a connection structure essentially formed by two panels connecting two axially separate points of the strut to a common axis structure extending along the strut pivot axis. In the gear-down position, the panels are one above the other, the top panel being connected to the strut via a high attachment which is rigid in twisting, while the bottom panel is connected to the strut via a low attachment which tolerates twisting, thereby enabling the strut to warp to some extent when the aircraft is turning while taxiing.

Abstract: An aircraft landing gear includes a leg having a strut receiving a telescopic rod to slide on a sliding axis, the strut being hinged to an aircraft structure and being capable of pivoting about a pivot axis that is highly offset from the sliding axis. The landing gear further includes a connection structure essentially comprising two panels connecting two axially separate points of the strut to a common axis structure extending along the strut pivot axis. In the gear-down position, the panels are one above the other, the top panel being connected to the strut via a high attachment which is rigid in twisting, while the bottom panel is connected to the strut via a low attachment which tolerates twisting, thereby enabling the strut to warp to some extent when the aircraft is turning while taxiing.

Abstract: The invention relates to an aircraft landing gear having a retractable leg, in which the leg comprises a strut with a telescopic rod, the strut being hinged to a structure of the aircraft in order to pivot between a gear-up position and a gear-down position, said strut also being connected to the structure of the aircraft via hinged brace elements. According to an essential aspect of the invention, the landing gear includes an independent low-noise fairing system that serves, when the leg is in the gear-down position, to cover the front of at least a portion of the hinge between the brace elements, said low-noise fairing system comprising a hinged fairing of two complementary portions connected to each other via a hinge whose axis is parallel to the axis of the corresponding hinge portion of said brace elements.