Liebherr-Aerospace has delivered its first nose landing gear for the Airbus A350F freighter, extending a partnership with Airbus that spans more than five decades. The company has been a core programme partner since the launch of the A350, providing critical flight control components alongside the nose landing gear, while continuously advancing its technology to meet evolving aircraft requirements.
The A350F, designed for long-haul cargo operations, required significant modifications to the baseline aircraft and its onboard systems. One of the principal challenges is maintaining ground stability during loading, particularly as the main deck cargo door is positioned behind the landing gear. This configuration introduces a risk of tail tipping if loading is not properly managed.
To address this, Airbus has developed an advanced tail tipping warning system as part of its Safety Beyond Standard approach. The system determines the aircraft’s ground balance using load data from the nose landing gear. To enable this, Liebherr has engineered a new electronic pressure sensor integrated within the changeover valve, capable of monitoring internal shock absorber pressure with high precision.
Across the A350 family, Liebherr supplies a broad range of systems and components, including the flap differential gearbox, load-sensing drive strut, lower deck cargo door actuator, moving damper, nose landing gear and slat actuation systems. The A350F nose landing gear is developed, qualified and manufactured at Liebherr’s Lindenberg facility in Germany, with comprehensive maintenance, repair and overhaul support provided through its global aftermarket network.
