What landing gear does the Boeing 767 use, and how does it work?

The Boeing 767 uses hydraulically operated, retractable tricycle landing gear: two four-wheel main-gear bogies and a twin-wheel steerable nose gear, for 10 wheels in total. The gear folds into enclosed bays in flight, locks mechanically when extended, and combines oleo-pneumatic shock absorption with main-wheel braking and anti-skid protection.

For our Aviation & Real-World Flying readers, the key distinction is that the 767 has no centre or body landing gear. Most of its ground load is carried by the two main trucks. Our breakdown of bogies, shock struts and landing-gear locks explains the shared components in more detail.

Boeing 767 landing gear layout

The 767 has one nose assembly and two main assemblies, with the main gear carrying all eight braked wheels.

How does the Boeing 767 landing gear retract and extend?

The 767 uses pressure from the centre hydraulic system for normal gear movement, while mechanical locks hold each assembly at the end of its travel. Hydraulic pressure moves the gear; it does not have to support the aircraft once the downlocks are engaged.

1. Gear-up selection: after take-off, air-ground logic permits the landing-gear lever to command retraction. A lever lock helps prevent an accidental normal retraction command while the aircraft is on the ground.
2. Door and uplock sequencing: valves direct hydraulic pressure to the required doors and release mechanisms.
3. Retraction: the two main gears fold inward into their wheel wells, while the nose gear retracts forward into its bay.
4. Up locking: mechanical uplocks secure the assemblies, after which the doors return to their commanded positions.
5. Extension: selecting DOWN releases the uplocks and directs hydraulic pressure to lower the three gear assemblies.
6. Down locking: braces move into their locked geometry, and the cockpit receives separate down-and-locked indications for the nose gear and each main gear.

Pumps, selector valves and actuators perform different parts of this sequence. Our guide to how aircraft hydraulic systems power landing gear covers that relationship without duplicating the full hydraulic-system explanation here.

Touchdown, braking and steering

At touchdown, the tyres, pivoting main-gear trucks and oleo struts absorb the vertical load before the brakes slow the aeroplane. During a normal nose-high landing, the aft wheels on each main bogie typically contact first, after which the truck rotates and distributes the load across all four wheels.

Gear and wheel sensors also contribute to the aircraft’s air-ground logic. Valid touchdown and wheel-speed signals permit related ground functions such as spoiler deployment, autobraking and thrust-reverser logic; those systems are connected to the landing gear but are not part of its retraction mechanism.

All eight main wheels have multi-disc brakes with anti-skid protection. Autobrake commands the required deceleration, while anti-skid reduces pressure at a wheel approaching a skid; our explanation of the relationship between autobrake and anti-skid covers that distinction.

The nose gear is steered hydraulically. Rudder-pedal steering provides limited corrections during the faster parts of the ground roll, while the tiller supplies the larger angles needed for taxiing. The main gear does not steer.

What if normal landing gear extension fails?

The 767 has an alternate extension system that can release the landing-gear doors and uplocks without normal hydraulic extension pressure. Once released, gravity and aerodynamic loads help the assemblies move to the down-and-locked position.

This backup addresses loss of normal actuation; it cannot force a gear through structural damage, a physical obstruction or a failed downlock. Real crews follow the approved checklist for the exact 767 variant and confirm the resulting indications rather than relying on an external view.

Variant and operating-speed differences

Standard 767 passenger and freighter variants share the same tricycle layout, but their detailed geometry, tyres, brakes, components and operating limits are not universally interchangeable. The longer 767-400ER retains two four-wheel main bogies and a twin-wheel nose unit, although its landing-gear, wheel and brake details were revised for that airframe.

Can the gear be operated at any speed?

No. Each variant has maximum landing-gear operating speeds, known as VLO, and a maximum speed with the gear extended, VLE. Extension and retraction limits can also differ, so a single figure should not be applied to every 767 model or simulator add-on; use the aircraft’s own placards and documentation.

How should Boeing 767 landing gear behave in a simulator?

A systems-focused 767 add-on should model the handle interlock, hydraulic dependency, door sequencing, position indications and alternate extension, not merely animate the wheels. Simpler aircraft may drive the entire sequence from one gear variable.

• Gear will not retract while parked: this is normally the air-ground interlock working as intended, not a fault to bypass.
• Gear does not move in flight: check the simulated centre hydraulic system, electrical power, failure settings and whether the add-on requires a complete hydraulic start-up.
• Gear cycles or reverses unexpectedly: remove duplicate keyboard, joystick and throttle-quadrant bindings that continually send conflicting gear commands.
• No down-and-locked indication: allow the sequence to finish, check hydraulic and electrical indications, then use the add-on’s alternate-extension procedure if the unsafe indication remains.
• Damage after a fast extension: some simulators enforce VLO or VLE only when aircraft-stress or systems-damage options are enabled.

For a straightforward visual example, our classic FS2004 767 model with animated landing gear shows the configuration externally, although animation alone should not be mistaken for full hydraulic and failure modelling.