Aircraft

Boeing has released the first engineering drawings of the main body landing gear for its new 747-8, to be manufacturered by Goodrich.

Boeing has selected Goodrich to provide the landing gear, wheels and brakes the new aircraft family. Charlotte, North Carolina-based Goodrich will manufacturer the nose, wing and body landing gear under the deal. The first delivery is expected to be made in 2008.

The award coincides with today’s release of the first 747-8 engineering drawings: one defining the body landing gear (pictured below), and a second - an engineering advanced material release - for fittings that will be used to hang the engine on the wing.

© Boeing

Goodrich, which has supplied landing gear components to the 747 programme since its inception, says it will redesign its parts to support the higher gross weight of the 747-8 commercial and freighter variants. Redesign efforts will focus on changes in structure and materials and will use the latest surface treatment technologies, says the manufacturer.

The landing gear will be produced at Goodrich plants in Cleveland, Ohio (which will work on the body landing gear outer cylinder); Everett, Washington; and Tullahoma, Tennessee as well as Oakville, Canada and Krosno in Poland. The company’s Troy, Ohio-based factory will produce a new wheel and carbon brake for the aircraft.

“Our landing gear team has supported Boeing on the 747 programme since its inception more than 40 years ago and we are very excited to be chosen to continue to support this very successful programme for many years to come,” Goodrich landing gear vice president for Boeing Commercial Airplanes Mike Secord says.

Goodrich says it has to date delivered 1,375 747 landing gear shipsets.

The 747-8 family, which includes the intercontinental passenger aircraft and the freighter version, was launched in November last year by Cargolux Airlines and Nippon Cargo Airlines. The first 747-8, a freighter, is scheduled to be delivered to Cargolux in September 2009.