Aircraft types and chapters
A310 · ATA 32 · Landing Gear
Landing Gear
Draft · under review
Primary source: Airbus AC A310, Revision 21 (DEC 01/09), §2.7.9, §4.3, §5.8 and §7.1-7.4. For training and study only; this is not an official maintenance document. Tyre pressures below are AC airport-planning data, not servicing values. The source gives no part or exploded-view data for the gear.
A310-200 and A310-300 · Airbus AC airport-planning data
Overview
- The A310 AC covers two models, A310-200 and A310-300.[1]
- The footprint drawings show two wheels on the nose gear and, on each of the two main gears, two wheels per axle on two axles (a four-wheel layout per side). The AC calls the main gear the "wing gear" in the tyre rows.[1]
- The AC derives its pavement requirements from a static analysis of the loads on the main landing gear struts.[1]
- The AC's pavement charts assume the airplane at maximum ramp weight (MRW) with the CG at its maximum permissible aft position.[1]
- The AC has a "Minimum Turning Radii" page with a nose-wheel steering angle of 65° (see Turning below).[1]
Key data (A310, AC planning data)
| Model | MRW | Nose gear tyre pressure | Wing gear 46 x 16-20 or 46 x 17 R20 | Wing gear 49 x 17-20 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A310-200 | 132 900 kg | 10 bar (145 psi) | 12.3 bar (178 psi) | 10.2 bar (148 psi) | §7.2 p.1 (PDF p.178) |
| A310-200 | 139 500 kg | 10.3 bar (149 psi) | 13 bar (189 psi) | 10.8 bar (157 psi) | §7.2 p.2 (PDF p.179) |
| A310-200 | 142 900 kg | 11 bar (160 psi) | 13.3 bar (193 psi) | 11 bar (160 psi) | §7.2 p.3 (PDF p.180) |
| A310-300 | 139 500 kg | 11.3 bar (164 psi) | 13.2 bar (191 psi) | 11 bar (160 psi) | §7.2 p.4 (PDF p.181) |
| A310-300 | 150 900 kg | 11.3 bar (164 psi) | 14.3 bar (207 psi) | 11.9 bar (173 psi) | §7.2 p.5 (PDF p.182) |
| A310-300 | 153 900 kg | 11.3 bar (164 psi) | 14.6 bar (212 psi) | 12 bar (174 psi) | §7.2 p.6 (PDF p.183) |
| A310-300 | 157 900 kg | 11.3 bar (164 psi) | 14.8 bar (215 psi) | 12.4 bar (180 psi) | §7.2 p.7 (PDF p.184) |
| A310-300 | 160 900 kg | 11.3 bar (164 psi) | not offered (49 x 17-20 only) | 12.6 bar (183 psi) | §7.2 p.8 (PDF p.185) |
| A310-300 | 164 900 kg | 11.3 bar (164 psi) | not offered (49 x 17-20 only) | 12.9 bar (187 psi) | §7.2 p.9 (PDF p.186) |
Sources[1]
- Nose gear tyre: 40 x 14-16 or 40 x 14 R16 on all MRW variants (one extra option noted below).[1]
- At MRW 157 900 kg the nose tyre row has a second option, "40 x 14 R16 P/N M11701", at 12.3 bar (178 psi).[1]
- The first wing-gear pressure column goes with the 46 x 16-20 / 46 x 17 R20 tyre and the second with the 49 x 17-20 tyre, as laid out in the AC tyre rows.[1]
- Footprint geometry, same on all nine pages. Nose gear to main gear centreline, along the aircraft axis: 15 220 mm (49 ft 11.2 in) (general term: wheelbase).[1]
- Distance between the two main gear centrelines: 9 600 mm (31 ft 6 in) (general term: wheel track).[1]
- Lateral spacing of the two nose wheels: 625 mm (24.6 in).[1]
- Main gear bogie: 927 mm (36.5 in) between the two wheels of an axle, and 1 397 mm (55 in) between the two axles. The drawing does not label these with letters; which is lateral and which is fore-aft is read from the drawing geometry.[1]
- The page shows the main gear door area 65 ft (19.8 m) aft of the nose, with a door-area length of 118 in (3 m) and an approximate 11.8 in (0.30 m) dimension marked near the ground line.[1]
- A second drawing, referenced to the aircraft centreline and showing the lower fuselage contour and the door swing (the page gives it no title), gives an angle of 89° and the dimensions 88.6 in (2.250 m), 78.35 in (1.990 m), 61.7 in (1.567 m), 26.4 in (0.671 m) and 20.9 in (0.530 m); the page does not state in text what each of these measures, so no meaning is assigned to them here.[1]
Pavement loads
| Model | MRW | V(NG) static load at most fwd CG (18 % MAC) | V(NG) static braking @ 10 ft/s² deceleration | V(MG) per strut, static load at max aft CG | H per strut, steady braking @ 10 ft/s² deceleration | H per strut, at instantaneous braking, coefficient = 0.8 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A310-200 | 132 900 kg (293 000 lb) | 17 560 kg (38 700 lb) | 28 760 kg (63 400 lb) | 62 000 kg (136 675 lb) | 20 650 kg (45 525 lb) | 49 600 kg (109 350 lb) | §7.3 p.1 (PDF p.187) |
| A310-200 | 139 500 kg (307 550 lb) | 18 430 kg (40 625 lb) | 30 180 kg (66 550 lb) | 65 080 kg (143 475 lb) | 21 680 kg (47 800 lb) | 52 060 kg (114 775 lb) | §7.3 p.1 (PDF p.187) |
| A310-200 | 142 900 kg (315 050 lb) | 18 880 kg (41 625 lb) | 30 920 kg (68 175 lb) | 66 660 kg (146 975 lb) | 22 210 kg (48 950 lb) | 53 330 kg (117 575 lb) | §7.3 p.1 (PDF p.187) |
| A310-300 | 139 500 kg (307 550 lb) | 18 430 kg (40 625 lb) | 30 180 kg (66 550 lb) | 65 660 kg (144 775 lb) | 21 680 kg (47 800 lb) | 52 530 kg (115 800 lb) | §7.3 p.2 (PDF p.188) |
| A310-300 | 150 900 kg (332 675 lb) | 19 940 kg (43 950 lb) | 32 650 kg (71 975 lb) | 71 260 kg (157 100 lb) | 23 450 kg (51 700 lb) | 57 010 kg (125 675 lb) | §7.3 p.2 (PDF p.188) |
| A310-300 | 153 900 kg (339 300 lb) | 20 330 kg (44 825 lb) | 33 300 kg (73 425 lb) | 72 680 kg (160 225 lb) | 23 920 kg (52 725 lb) | 58 140 kg (128 175 lb) | §7.3 p.2 (PDF p.188) |
| A310-300 | 157 900 kg (348 100 lb) | 20 860 kg (46 000 lb) | 34 170 kg (75 325 lb) | 74 570 kg (164 400 lb) | 24 540 kg (54 100 lb) | 59 650 kg (131 525 lb) | §7.3 p.3 (PDF p.189) |
| A310-300 | 160 900 kg (354 725 lb) | 20 740 kg (45 725 lb) | 33 970 kg (74 900 lb) | 75 980 kg (167 525 lb) | 25 000 kg (55 125 lb) | 60 790 kg (134 000 lb) | §7.3 p.3 (PDF p.189) |
| A310-300 | 164 900 kg (363 550 lb) | 20 740 kg (45 725 lb) | 33 970 kg (74 900 lb) | 77 870 kg (171 675 lb) | 25 630 kg (56 500 lb) | 62 300 kg (137 350 lb) | §7.3 p.3 (PDF p.189) |
Sources[1]
- §7.3 gives maximum vertical and horizontal pavement loads at the tyre-ground interface for certain critical conditions.[1]
- Legend on the §7.3 pages: V(NG) maximum vertical nose-gear ground load at most forward CG; V(MG) maximum vertical main-gear ground load at most aft CG; H maximum horizontal ground load from braking. The tables list static and braking cases (10 ft/s² deceleration; instantaneous braking at a coefficient of 0.8), all calculated at maximum ramp weight. Values are in the table below, as printed.[1]
- AC worked example, A310-200 (MRW 132 900 kg): gross weight 110 000 kg, 93.3 % on the main gear, i.e. 102 603 kg on the main gear group.[1]
- AC worked example, A310-300 (MRW 139 500 kg): gross weight 125 000 kg, 94.14 % on the main gear, i.e. 117 680 kg on the main gear group. These are example conditions, not general load splits.[1]
- The AC states that an aircraft with ACN equal to or less than the PCN can operate without restriction on the pavement.[1]
- Aft CG used for V(MG), as printed in footnote (2): 35 % MAC for the three A310-200 rows; 37.2 % MAC for A310-300 at 139 500 kg; 38 % MAC for A310-300 at 150 900 kg and above.[1]
- Printed as is: the A310-300 rows at 160 900 kg and 164 900 kg show identical V(NG) values (45 725 lb / 20 740 kg static; 74 900 lb / 33 970 kg braking), and footnote (1) on that page gives the forward-CG weight as 157 000 kg for those two rows. Both look unusual and were not corrected.[1]
Turning (A310 §4.3)
| CG | X | Y | A | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FWD 18 % | 15.51 | 8.77 | 32.13 | 17.87 | 31.47 | 23.58 | 29.80 |
| AFT 35 % | 15.51 | 10.41 | 34.65 | 18.75 | 33.07 | 24.24 | 30.76 |
| AFT 38 % | 15.51 | 11.54 | 35.51 | 19.17 | 34.17 | 24.74 | 31.45 |
Sources[1]
- The page "Minimum Turning Radii" shows a nose-wheel steering angle of 65°.[1]
- The drawing note says the theoretical turn centre is for slow continuous turning at approximately idle thrust on all engines with no differential braking; the nose-gear radius is measured from the outside face of the tyre.[1]
- "A" is labelled on the drawing as the minimum pavement width for a 180° turn. The other letters are drawing labels for offsets and arcs; their meanings are not restated in text on the page. Table values are in metres; the AC also gives feet.[1]
Ground handling notes (A310)
- The A310 is designed for conventional towing or towbarless towing.[1]
- Towing or pushing with a towbar attached to the nose gear leg is possible at maximum ramp weight, with engines at zero or up to idle thrust; two towbar fittings are installed, one at the front and one at the back of the leg.[1]
- The AC says a conventional towbar is required and should be equipped with a damping system against nose-gear jerks and with towing shear pins (a traction pin and a torsion pin; values not reproduced).[1]
- The nose gear towing fitting drawing shows a section through the fitting area and two fitting positions labelled A and B (height from ground). Table, mm (in), approximate and varying with tyre type and conditions: at operating weight empty, CG 25 %: A 591 (23.27), B 466 (18.35); at maximum ramp weight, CG 18 %: A 558 (21.97), B 433 (17.05); at maximum ramp weight, CG 34 %: A 588 (23.15), B 463 (18.23). The drawing does not say which letter is the front or rear fitting here, so that is not stated.[1]
- The tow chart plots drawbar pull against traction load, slope and aircraft weight for dry, wet, snow and ice surfaces; it notes that unusual breakaway conditions are not reflected and that the friction coefficients are approximate. Its examples for a 132 900 kg A310 on wet concrete up a 2 % slope: 11 000 daN drawbar pull when pushed rearward with engines idling, 9 000 daN when pulled forward with engines stopped.[1]
- Towing procedures and limitations are referred to AMM chapter 9, not covered here.[1]
General principle (FAA, US practice)
- Not A310-specific. Oleo strut energy absorption: on touchdown the piston is pushed up into the upper cylinder and fluid is forced through an orifice past a tapered metering pin; the restricted flow turns impact energy into heat, and the compressed air or nitrogen above acts as the spring.[2]
- Torque links: one end is attached to the fixed upper cylinder and the other to the piston, so the piston cannot turn and the wheels stay aligned.[2]
- Tyre size convention: for three-part sizes the order is overall diameter x section width - rim diameter, with "R" instead of "-" for radial tyres. So "49 x 17-20" would read as 49 in diameter, 17 in width, 20 in rim; this applies the FAA convention to the AC size, and the AC itself does not state the tyre type.[2]
Sources
Every fact on this page links to a public source. Accessed dates are shown per document.
- Airbus AC A310 — Aircraft Characteristics, Airport and Maintenance Planning, Revision 21 (2009-12-01) — §7.1 p.1 (PDF p.174); §7.2 pp.1-9 (PDF pp.178-186); §4.3.0 p.1 (PDF p.84); §7.2 p.7 (PDF p.184); §7.2 pp.1-7 (PDF pp.178-184); §2.7.9 p.1 (PDF p.51); §7.3 pp.1-3 (PDF pp.187-189); §7.4 p.1 (PDF p.190); §7.1 p.3 (PDF p.176); §7.3 p.3 (PDF p.189); §5.8 p.1 (PDF p.126); §5.8.1 p.1 (PDF p.128); §5.8.1 p.4 (PDF p.131); §5.8 p.2 (PDF p.127). https://www.aircraft.airbus.com/sites/default/files/2023-02/Airbus-Commercial-Aircraft-AC-A310-Dec-2009.pdf · accessed 2026-11-09
- FAA-H-8083-31B Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook - Airframe, Issue 31B (2023) — Ch.13 pp.13-7-13-8, 13-11; Ch.13 p.13-9; Ch.13 pp.13-74-13-75, Fig.13-128. https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/FAA-H-8083-31B_Aviation_Maintenance_Technician_Handbook.pdf · accessed 2026-11-08