A Comprehensive Guide to Aircraft Nose and Tail Gear

December 16, 2025 ryan mitchell Aerospace

Supporting an aircraft’s every takeoff, landing, and taxiing maneuver is the landing gear, with the nose and tail gear being two major assemblies found across diverse models. Although landing gear design can differ amongst aircraft, both nose and tail landing gear have their place in influencing safe, controlled ground movement. With this in mind, this blog will cover the distinct functionality of nose and tail gear assemblies, diving into some of the common types that are employed.

Understanding Aircraft Nose Gear

The nose gear is positioned beneath the front of the fuselage, contributing to several foundational aspects of aircraft operation, such as:

Accommodating Aircraft Weight During Ground Operations: The nose gear carries a significant percentage of static aircraft weight, particularly when taxiing or idling.
Providing Directional Control on the Ground: Depending on aircraft type, the nose gear may be steerable through direct pilot inputs like rudder pedals, tiller wheels, or a combination of both. Alternatively, the gear can pivot freely, deriving directional control from differential braking or external tow equipment.
Preventing Nose-Over Incidents: Extending forward of the center of gravity, the nose gear stabilizes deceleration forces and prevents the aircraft from pitching forward during braking.
Absorbing Shocks and Vibrations: Through an integrated shock-strut design, with many aircraft using oleo-pneumatic technology, the nose gear mitigates bump and vibration loads encountered during touchdown or while operating on uneven pavement.

Common Types

Different nose gear configurations are used to meet certain operational goals or airframe needs, with the two main types including:

Steerable Nose Gear: Found on modern tricycle aircraft ranging from light trainers to large wide-body jets, steerable nose gear enables pilots to directly control the nose wheel for precise taxiing and runway alignment.
Free-Castering Nose Gear: This gear pivots freely through a wide arc and relies on braking to achieve directional changes. Because it reduces system weight and mechanical complexity, free-castering gear is ideal for some light sport aircraft, sailplanes, and military trainers.

In addition to these forms, the gear can either be retractable or fixed. Retractable nose gear stows inside the fuselage during flight to reduce drag. Meanwhile, retractable configurations require more complex mechanical or hydraulic mechanisms and are the industry standard in business jets, commercial airliners, and many military aircraft. On the other hand, fixed nose gear is simpler in construction as it is permanently exposed, most often being found on flight training or ultralight aircraft.

Major Components

Even though specific features can vary depending on configuration, many nose gear assemblies share core elements like:

Shock Struts: Shock struts absorb and dissipate loads through a combination of compressed nitrogen and hydraulic fluid.
Torque Links: Torque links maintain proper wheel alignment and prevent unwanted rotation of the shock strut. These are used in nearly all steerable and free-castering nose gear systems to preserve directional stability, but some very small or ultralight aircraft with fixed single-wheel gear may omit torque links.
Wheels and Tires: Nose gear wheels are typically made from high-strength aluminum or magnesium alloys. Meanwhile, tubeless pneumatic tires with reinforced sidewalls are used to accommodate high rotational speeds, effectively shed water, and resist side loads from steering or crosswinds.

Additional type-specific features include:

Retraction Systems: Specific to retractable gear, this system uses either mechanical or hydraulic power to stow and deploy the landing gear.
Drag Braces and Locks: Drag braces and locks are also found in retractable nose gear to hold it securely in the extended position and stabilize the assembly during retraction or extension cycles.
Steering Actuators: Steering actuators allow pilots to control the direction of the nose gear. In most transport-category aircraft, hydraulic actuators receive commands from a tiller or rudder pedals, while smaller aircraft may use simpler mechanical or electrically driven actuators.

Understanding Tail Gear

Tail gear is an arrangement used on aircraft that utilize a taildragger configuration, where the main landing gear is accompanied by a small assembly at the aft end of the fuselage. Although considered more of a vintage setup, it is still used on planes that prioritize simplicity, low weight, and rugged capabilities, such as bush planes and agricultural aircraft. In this placement, tail gear:

Supports the Tail During Ground Operations: The tailwheel carries only a small portion of the aircraft’s weight, but it stabilizes the aft fuselage and tail to prevent ground contact.
Allows for Ground Maneuvering: Tail gear contributes to directional control and may be steerable or free-castering.
Aids in Operating on Rough or Unimproved Surfaces: With the main wheels carrying most of the load, the tail portion helps with handling uneven, soft, or otherwise unprepared terrain far smoother.

Common Types

Tail gear variations are largely based on whether they are steerable or free-castering, displaying characteristics very similar to nose wheels. However, some feature a tail skid, which is a non-rolling structural element that is largely obsolete today but remains suitable for some lightweight gliders.

Major Components

The shared elements across most types of tail gear include:

Tailwheels or Tail Skids: A tailwheel or skid is used as the primary ground contact at the tail. Most tailwheels are small and come in pneumatic or solid-rubber forms, whereas modern skids are usually made of metal or composite materials.
Leaf Springs or Shock Struts: Supporting the tailwheel or skid assembly, a leaf spring or shock strut serves to absorb vertical loads transmitted to the tail during landing or caused by rough surfaces.
Pivot Assemblies: The pivot assembly allows the tailwheel fork to rotate or castor in a set range when the aircraft turns or experiences side loads.

Moreover, the components found only on steerable tailwheels are as follows:

Steering Springs or Mechanical Linkages: These components provide pilot-controlled directional input by connecting the tailwheel to the rudder system. Steering springs present a degree of elasticity that helps prevent overloads during sharp turns or side loads, while rigid linkages offer more direct control but require careful alignment to perform well.
Tailwheel Locking Mechanism: Found on larger taildragger aircraft or designs that benefit from increased directional stability during high-speed takeoffs and landings, pilots can use this mechanism to lock the tailwheel in a straight-ahead position.

Trust Orbit NSN for Quality Landing Gear Components

As we have explored, aircraft nose and tail gear share the responsibility of supporting weight, absorbing loads, and enabling maneuverability. Every aircraft has its own optimal landing gear setup, so when it comes time to replace any components in these assemblies, take great care to select the right kind to meet specific airframe requirements. If you are seeking a source for top-notch nose and/or tail gear parts from recognized manufacturers, we have you covered on Orbit NSN.

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