Tricycle Landing Gear Airplanes

A tricycle gear airplane has three advantages:

1. It allows more forceful application of the brakes during landings at high speeds without causing the aircraft to nose over.
2. It permits better forward visibility for the pilot during takeoff, landing, and taxiing.
3. It tends to prevent ground looping (swerving) by providing more directional stability during ground operation since the aircraft’s center of gravity (CG) is forward of the main wheels. The forward CG keeps the airplane moving forward in a straight line rather than ground looping.

Nosewheels are either steerable or castering. Steerable nosewheels are linked to the rudders by cables or rods, while castering nosewheels are free to swivel. In both cases, the aircraft is steered using the rudder pedals. Aircraft with a castering nosewheel may require the pilot to combine the use of the rudder pedals with independent use of the brakes.