Wednesday, April 27, 2016

AD-5 versus AD-6/7 Main Landing Gear

The AD-5 main landing gear wheel well reverted to the earlier configuration that had no main landing gear doors. The forward facing fairing was also different from the one that accompanied the fully housed landing gear. The catapult hook was also relocated to the main landing gear strut as it was on the earlier AEW Skyraiders (necessary to clear the radome) but made standard for all AD-5s.


The following picture of the AD-5 main landing gear wheel well was cropped from a Jim Robbins photograph of a suspended EA-1F (AD-5Q). On the AD-5, like all ADs, the gear strut, when retracted, was actually below the wing and not in it.
Note that the gear actuator well is symmetrical from side to side but the forward facing fairing is not.

The AD-6/7 wheel well was open from the aft side of forward wing spar (the gear actuation mechanism was attached to its front side) to the aft wing spar.


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