Definition

Landing gear. The components of an aircraft or a spacecraft that support the weight of the craft and its load and give it mobility on ground or water.

Source: EUROCONTROL ATM Lexicon

Description

The landing gear is the principal support of the airplane when parked, taxiing, taking off, or landing. The most common type of landing gear consists of wheels, but airplanes can also be equipped with floats for water operations or skis for landing on snow.

The wheeled landing gear on small aircraft consists of three wheels: two main wheels (one located on each side of the fuselage) and a third wheel positioned either at the front or rear of the airplane.