New Superjet 100 landing gear doors tested successfully
Russia’s Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) has completed fatigue tests on modified main landing gear doors for the Russian-made Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) regional jet. The testing program confirmed the components’ design service life.
The testing lasted for two years. During this period, the doors were subjected to maximum operating loads, with around 500,000 opening/closing cycles performed.
“The tests confirmed the actuators’ performance under loads experienced in flight,” TsAGI said in a statement. “The technical solutions incorporated in the structure proved to be effective.”
The modified doors incorporate composite materials. They are expected to improve the airliner’s aerodynamics thanks to the addition of the element which was previously mounted on the gear strut.
These elements covers the openings in the wing-body fairing which appears when the main gear is retracted. The designers assert that the new doors will increase the SSJ100’s payload capacity by 1,300 kg, which will come in particularly handy in hot-and-high operations.
The new doors have already been installed on the SSJ100s operated by Mexican airline Interjet and Ireland’s CityJet. The modification is available as a retrofit.
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