Oscillation of Castoring Wheels: A Simple Investigation of the Damping Required to Overcome “Shimmy” in Tricycle Undercarriages

Abstract

A PROBLEM which has attracted some attention since the advent of the tricycle undercarriage is that of the tendency to oscillate or “shimmy ” sometimes shown by the nose‐wheel, which is normally free to rotate about the vertical or castoring axis, subject to the restraint imposed by frictional or hydraulic dampers. Various attempts have been made to predict the amount of damping required to prevent the building‐up of a dangerous wobble; in the simplified investigation which follows it is believed that all the essential variables have been retained, and the basic character of the motion correctly reproduced.

Citation

Lockwood Taylor, J. (1941), "Oscillation of Castoring Wheels: A Simple Investigation of the Damping Required to Overcome “Shimmy” in Tricycle Undercarriages", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 13-13. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb030730