A few years ago it became obvious that the use of multi-wheel arrangements would become common on future main undercarriages, particularly on large aircraft. Four reasons for such use are: —
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(i) Spreading the load on the runways allows operation of the aircraft from a larger number of aerodromes.
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(ii) Reducing the individual wheel loads and tyre pressures allows operation of the aircraft from natural airfield surfaces.
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(iii) An overall reduction in undercarriage weight may be achieved, particularly for large aircraft.
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(iv) Ease of stowage in the aircraft structure when retracted.
The multi-wheel arrangement could be obtained by having the wheels side by side, in line, by having the wheels side by side, in line, or by a combination of these two methods.