Messier-Dowty for landing gear

The aircraft landing gear experts Messier-Dowty, a Snecma Group company, are exhibiting a wide range of civil and military aviation products. The company's display stand include nose landing gear for the Boeing F/A-18 E/F, Raytheon Hawker Horizon, Airbus 380, and Dassault Rafale. Also included are examples of main landing gear for the Airbus A320 and Eurofighter. Messier-Dowty's nose landing gear for the Boeing X-32 JSF is on show at the main Boeing stand.

Messier-Dowty landing gear is in service across the aviation industry; examples include:

• Boeing F/A-18 E/F - To date Messier-Dowty has delivered more than 65 production nose gears of a multi-year buy of over 220 aircraft. The major structural items of the nose landing gear are manufactured from Aermet 100, the next generation ultra-high strength steels.

• Raytheon Hawker - The Hawker Horizon's maiden flight is scheduled for July 2001, with four flight test aircraft fitted with Messier-Dowty landing gears. Hawker Horizon employs a fully integrated landing gear system that comprises main and nose landing gears, side brace and up-lock assemblies.

• Airbus A320 - Messier-Dowty has already delivered some 1,600 landing gear sets for the Airbus single aisle programme. The A318 is due to start its flight test programmes early in 2002 using the common main gear for the A320/A319 aircraft.

• Airbus A380 - Messier-Dowty has been selected to design and manufacture the nose gear for the new A380 aircraft. The aircraft is scheduled to enter into service in March 2006.

• Eurofighter - The first main landing gears for the production standard Eurofighter were delivered in August 2000. Qualification testing is currently underway to support first flight in 2001 and the delivery of the first customer aircraft early in 2002. Messier-Dowty has overall responsibility for the landing gear system in collaboration with Liebherr, CESA and Magnaghi.

• Dassault Rafale - To date, Messier-Dowty has delivered 13 production sets and has received a new order of 28 aircraft. The carrier-borne version of Rafale incorporates a unique 'jump strut' technology to give the aircraft extra lift at take-off.

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