TITLE:
Modeling, Simulation, and Experimental Study of Landing Gear Shimmy Considering Strut Height Variation
AUTHORS:
Guisheng Zhu, Yanying Zhao, Yian Liu, Zhenyuan Ju, Wenchong Feng
KEYWORDS:
Landing Gear, Shimmy, Stability, Shimmy Experiment, Simulation Analysis, Strut Height
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.16 No.4,
April
28,
2026
ABSTRACT: In this paper, a four-degree-of-freedom dual-wheel nose landing gear shimmy dynamic model considering strut height variation is established for a certain aircraft nose landing gear. The reliability of the relationship between strut stiffness and strut height is verified by comparing the results of static simulation analysis with the theoretical model results. Then, using numerical analysis methods, the influence of strut height variation on the stable region and stability performance of the landing gear is analyzed. Through a taxiing simulation test bench, taxiing experiments are conducted to verify the theoretical results regarding the influence of strut height variation on landing gear stability. The research shows that the theoretical model presented in this paper is reliable. The stable region of landing gear shimmy increases as the strut height decreases. When the landing gear is in a stable convergent state, under a certain external excitation, reducing the strut height can increase the convergence speed of the landing gear and reduce the total vibration amplitude. Combined with experimental conclusions, the theoretical results are verified, clarifying that reducing strut height is one of the ways to improve the taxiing stability of the nose landing gear, providing experimental basis and guidance for the structural optimization and performance improvement of subsequent unmanned aircraft nose landing gears.