Article on TSR.2 Undercarriage
The following is an extract from an article on the TRS.2 “Concept versus Reality” written by Frank Barnett-Jones and published in July 1997 copy of “Aeroplane Monthly”:-
“The prime consideration in the undercarriage design was the accommodation of a rough-field landing requirement. This necessitated a landing technique similar to that used by carrier-borne aircraft, so the system had to be strong to withstand a non-flare landing on a semi-prepared surface.
The responsibility for the undercarriage lay with Vickers, which designed the undercarriage with a simple hydraulic telescope tube arrangement, together with a tandem wheel configuration. A similar system was already in use on the Vickers Valiant, so the technicalities were understood. However if one studies the undercarriage on the Valiant it will be seen that while the design characteristics are similar because of the differences in physical layout the results are somewhat different. In the landing phase the weight of the aircraft is transferred from the wing to the undercarriage and the wheel makes vertical contact with the ground at 2ft/sec. Ideally, therefore, the oleo compression should move at the same vertical angle to place less stress on the undercarriage.
On the TRS.2 this was not the case, because the oleos splayed out to accommodate the maximum–track requirement. At the same time the large ankle on the bogie extended the wheels well beyond the point where the vertical weight was being applied. This meant that the compression of the telescopic legs was not vertical, as on the Valiant, but at an angle of approximately 15 degrees. Therefore, as the wheels touched the runway and compression began, the bogies would be dragged inward as the legs compressed. Such a reaction not only imposed stress on the ankle, but also induced a strong weaving effect on the tandem wheels as the aircraft settled on the undercarriage. There was evidence to show that the system was vulnerable when the ankle on XR219 sheared without warning during trial at Shoeburyness.”