C-17 Globemaster landing gear retracting - GIF

[Altair]

C-17 Globemaster landing gear retracting.




Previously:

C-17 Globemaster with Qatar Airways livery - photo
C-17 flying low over city -GIF
C-5 Galaxy kneeling landing gear - video
Airbus A380 main landing gear - GIF
C-5 Galaxy landing gear maintenance trainer - GIF

[hemmjo]

I live about 10 miles out in the flight path for the landing pattern for Rickenbacker International. Also the Ohio Air National Guard Base. Every once in a while one of those C-17s flys over, low and slow. They are amazing to watch. Wilber and Orville would be so amazed.

[sossol]

The front gear retraction looks like a praying mantis eating.

Retractable landing gear fascinates me. I often go down rabbitholes of watching video after video, many times over, watching a different components in action. I particularly like the bits that move only to allow other bits to move, like the ones above the main gear doors that open out to allow the mechanism to fold.

Neil

[Duke_of_URL]

Most people have no idea just how many "things" are involved in performing such a "simple" task on an aircraft - moving massive amounts of metal under increasingly high loads during ascent. Sadly, >90% of the world remains blissfully ignorant of all things technical.

[hemmjo]

snip....Sadly, >90% of the world remains blissfully ignorant of all things technical.

Replace "Sadly", Delete "technical"

Tragically, >90% of the world remains blissfully ignorant of all things!!!!

[hotdog0627]

I live about 10 miles out in the flight path for the landing pattern for Rickenbacker International. Also the Ohio Air National Guard Base. Every once in a while one of those C-17s flys over, low and slow. They are amazing to watch. Wilber and Orville would be so amazed.

In the video, in 10 seconds everything is tucked in... is that about right?

[hemmjo]

I have never seen the gear deploy. It is still tucked inside when they fly over me. Typically they take off going the other way. Only time I have seen one take off was at an airshow they had a while ago. Seemed like they retracted the gear as soon as the wheels came off the ground. When they get that far down the runway, the wheels won't do any good anyway if they have to abort. Never saw one touch down, have only marveled as they fly over.

[sossol]

Never saw one touch down, have only marveled as they fly over.

Based on the videos I’ve seen unless they’re performing a military-style rapid insertion/extraction their landings are quite uneventful (when the do either of these it is very eventful).
Unlike typical airplanes of that size there’s not much to see. The wings don’t flex much, the suspension barely moves, and there’s not much flare.
For me all of this adds to the illusion that they are a single part, rather than the ginormous collections of technological wonder operated by a relatively tiny human being. Makes me appreciate the skill of the pilots even more.

Neil