"What a convoluted world IP and patents can be". Not so, in this case. IF Boeing had a patent on steerable body gear then it would have lasted 20 years from the date of application, and is long expired. After expiry anyone can use it. IF Boeing has added a few widgets, to keep them ahead of the competition, the orirginal patent, less the widgets, is still useable by anyone. Also, I'd question the issue of "IP in the form of copyright". The detailed engineering drawings will be copyright, but Airbus ain't in the business of building cloned Boeing bogies.
I don't believe that the A-380 lacks steerable body gear because of a patent issue. On the other hand, I do believe it has a big problem because it doesn't have steerable body gear
Hmmm. Having just checked the US Patent Office, this may be the one.
United States Patent 5,242,131
Watts September 7, 1993
Steerable landing gear
Abstract
A six wheel, three axle, bogie type main landing gear for an airplane is retractable as a unit and is provided with a rearward set of wheels or a forward set of wheels that is steerable with respect to the non-rotatable bogie beam. The set of wheels turns in response to steering of the nose wheel past a given angle. A wheel assembly is mounted for rotation with respect to a vertical shaft supported by a fork extending longitudinally of the beam, and a pair of hydraulic cylinders turns the wheel axles with respect to the beam.
Inventors: Watts; John (Redmond, WA)
Assignee: The Boeing Company (Seattle, WA)
Appl. No.: 865066
Filed: April 8, 1992