Patent ID: 8180504

Claim:
A method of monitoring landing gear on an aircraft at initial contact of the landing gear with the ground, each landing gear comprising a telescopic strut which is capable of extension and compression, the landing gear strut comprising a hull portion, which remains fixed to a hull of the aircraft when the landing gear is deployed for landing, and a tire portion, which is capable of moving at a different velocity, with respect to the hull portion, comprising the steps of: a) providing a first accelerometer on the hull of the aircraft; b) providing a second accelerometer on the tire portion of the strut; c) measuring the acceleration of the hull of the aircraft with the first accelerometer as the aircraft lands; d) measuring the acceleration of the tire portion of the strut with the second accelerometer as the aircraft lands; e) comparing the acceleration of the hull of the aircraft with the acceleration of the tire portion of the strut; f) determining the initial contact of the landing gear from the comparison.