Abstract: A shock strut is provided for a landing gear assembly in an aircraft including a variable load shear collar. The shock strut includes a housing having first and second pistons axially disposed therein. An annular shear collar is rotatably coupled about the housing and includes an inner radial wall, an outer radial wall and a plurality of axially spaced apart shear flanges radially extending from the inner radial wall. The second piston includes a plurality of axially spaced apart force transmitting flanges radially extending therefrom which abuttingly engage the plurality of shear flanges. The degree to which the force transmitting flanges engage the shear flanges corresponds to a circumferential orientation of the shear collar relative to the second piston. The amount of abutting engagement dictates the amount of force required to shear the shear flanges, thereby allowing the second piston to stroke.

Abstract: A hydraulic damper assembly has a barrel-piston assembly and a spring assembly. The barrel-piston assembly has a barrel with a top portion having an open end, and a piston extending through the open end. The piston has a bottom portion that is located inside the barrel. The piston and the barrel also define an annular space in which is a barrel shoulder and a piston shoulder. The barrel shoulder radially extends into the annular space from the barrel top portion. The piston shoulder radially extends into the annular space from the piston bottom portion. The spring assembly is disposed in the annular space between the barrel shoulder and the piston shoulder. When the piston is extended from the barrel, the shoulders compress the spring assembly and, thereby, reduce the amount of force required to compress the piston which enables the damper to be charged to a higher nitrogen pressure.