Patent ID: 8220740

Claim:
A self-propelled aircraft undercarriage for driving an aircraft on the ground, said undercarriage comprising: a strut supporting an axle with one or more wheels, each wheel being rotatably mounted on said axle; a tire which bulges mounted on said wheel to bulge outwardly of a greatest axial dimension of said wheel; and drive means mounted adjacent to said wheel for driving said aircraft on the ground; wherein said wheel and said tire are configured to define a first cavity externally adjacent to said wheel and a second cavity between said first cavity and said tire bulge, and said drive means is sized and shaped to be mounted completely within a space formed by said first cavity, a space formed by said second cavity, or a space formed by both said first cavity and said second cavity so that said drive means occupies no extra space in and requires little or no alteration to an aircraft wheel bay; and coupling between said drive means and said wheel, wherein said coupling automatically and releasably connects said drive means and said wheel when said wheel is mounted.