Why Didn’t National Combat Aircraft KAAN Close Its Landing Gear?

TUSAŞ KAAN was on Turkey’s agenda today. Our domestic combat aircraft took off for the first time today. for 13 minutes Staying in the air, KAAN reached a speed of 230 knots (426 kilometers) and an altitude of 8000 feet (2,438 kilometers). The tests of the aircraft, which was announced to enter the inventory in 2028, will continue.

There was a striking point in the footage of KAAN reflected on the cameras: landing gear, the plane was not turned off even while in the air. This unusual image attracted the attention of many people. First of all, let us state that this situation is quite normal, there is no malfunction in the aircraft or a piloting problem.

KAAN’s first flight video:

It is common practice for the wheels to be open during flight tests.

All aircraft produced first make a test flight. “Maiden Flight” These flights, called essentially whether the aircraft can fly properly It is made to test. Is there any wobble, are the controls working properly, is the vehicle responding correctly? The answers to these questions are sought in this first flight.

The duration of these first flights is generally quite short. Planes after takeoff at a certain height They have to close the landing gear and open it before a certain point while landing. So the time the landing gear must remain closed is not very long.

In addition, test pilots look at how the aircraft behaves with the landing gear extended and whether the indicators work correctly. Your indicator is not working properly, with wheels you can land on It is always better for you to learn. This brings us to the next point.

It’s not the landing gear that needs to be inspected.

The landing gear of airplanes is quite complex in itself. are complex systems and are tested separately. In flight tests, the point tested is not the landing gear, but the movement of the vehicle in the air. At this point, which is essentially an economic idea, Ockham’s Razor concept comes into play. In essence, this theory focuses on choosing the simplest among complex alternatives. In general, “The simplest explanation is usually correct.” This concept, which is seen as such, essentially requires focusing on the simplest and least detailed model among different models. Ockham is not a graduate of the faculty of economics and administrative sciences, but a philosopher, and his ideas are also used in fields other than economics.

In such tests, the system complexity minimize and systems such as landing gear are not operated to reduce the possibility of complications from different systems. As a result, since those parts are parts whose tests have not been fully completed, they increase the possibility of risk. Risk management At that moment, the landing gear is not closed or opened for a few minutes. Moreover, these suits provide partial protection against possible risks; if they cannot use the suits, they must land the aircraft on the fuselage.

Let’s look at the first flights of other aircraft:

First of all, let’s watch the flight of the F-16, one of the most famous warplanes in history:

Here’s the first flight of a Boeing 747:

Let’s also see the Airbus A350-1000, from more modern times:

When we look at these videos, no plane that they don’t pull their wheels up We see. Another striking point is that KAAN performed quite well for its first flight. Behind the aircraft, which is still under development TAI’s The effect of the readiness brought by the fact that it was previously among the few F-16 maintenance-repair centers is noticeable.

As our great leader said, “The future is in the sky!”