Disclosed is an arrangement in which the main landing gear assemblies of a
large commercial airplane are each joined to the airplane at four
attachment points. Two of the attachment points connect the landing gear
side brace and drag brace to the airplane. The two remaining attachment
points are aft and forward trunnions that are mounted to the airplane
wing. The aft trunnion pivotally connects one side of the landing gear
shock strut to the airplane and carries both vertical and torsional
loading. The forward trunnion is pivotally connected to the other side of
the shock strut by a trunnion link. An actuator is coupled between the
shock strut and the trunnion link. When the landing gear is down and
locked the actuator is not activated and the trunnion link does not have
the rigidity and stiffness required to transfer vertical loads to the
forward trunnion. When the actuator is activated, the combination of the
actuator and trunnion link rigidly interconnects the shock strut with the
forward trunnion so that four point mounting stabilization is present
during landing gear retraction, extension and stowage.