Abstract: A duo mode gas hydraulic shock absorbing landing gear strut with a pneumatic spring in combination with a hydraulic fluid controlling orifice for touchdown and automatic means for changing mode after touchdown to impart new pneumatic spring characteristics and to provide duo paths for controlling hydraulic fluid flow.

Abstract: The damping coefficient and spring constant of shock absorbing struts for commercial jet aircraft landing gears are selected to allow optimum absorption of forces on the landing gears at touchdown for an aircraft that has been descending at the maximum permissible "sinkrate" (descent rate immediately prior to touchdown). When so selected, the shock absorbing struts are unable to effectively dampen vertical oscillations of the aircraft body ensuing from a downward plunging of the weight of the aircraft due to the deployment of lift spoilers immediately after touchdown.