Reaper Manufacturer Unveils New Landing Gear Design

Jan. 13, 2012 | By Marc V. Schanz

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, manufacturer of the Air Force’s MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft, announced the availability of a new trailing arm design for the Reaper’s main landing gear. The company is currently in contract talks with the Air Force to retrofit the existing fleet with the arm, company spokeswoman Kimberly Kasitz told the Daily Report. The new gear is one of several features that the company is including in the Reaper Block 5 configuration. Among it benefits, the arm design enables a 30-percent increase in landing-weight capacity, has a maintenance-free shock absorber, and provides provisions for automatic takeoff and landing capability and for anti-lock brake system upgrades. The new gear underwent full qualification, fatigue, and flight testing in January 2011. Kasitz said any new MQ-9s would be delivered with the new gear installed after production cut-in.

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Trending Stories

What Does It Take to Ace the New Air Force Fitness Test?

Air Combat Command to Take Over Fighter and Drone Pilot Training

Air Force Starting to Ramp Up Development of New NC3 Aircraft

CMSAF: Air Force to Train Every Airman on AI

Related

Air Force Reservists Save 11 Plane Crash Survivors at Sea

May 16, 2026
Members of the Air Force Reserve’s 920th Rescue Wing helped save 11 airplane crash survivors off the coast of Florida on May 12. The Reserve Airmen were flying an HC-130J Combat King II and an HH-60W Jolly Green II on a routine training flight when a Coast Guard call diverted…

Unplanned Depot Repairs on the Rise, but USAF Metric Undercounts Delays: Report

May 15, 2026
Depot-level maintenance took longer than expected for nearly three-quarters of Air Force aircraft from fiscal 2019-2024, according to a new report, as unplanned repairs rise across the aging fleet. The report, from the Government Accountability Office, also found that the extent of the delays has been masked because officials often revise their target timelines after unplanned work occurs.

USAF to Buy Thousands of New Radios to Help Rescue Downed Pilots

May 14, 2026
The Air Force plans to start buying thousands of advanced new handheld radios in 2027 for downed aircrew to communicate with search-and-rescue forces, a capability spotlighted earlier this year during the recovery of two aviators shot down in Iran.

KC-46 Plan Vows Readiness Boost but Vision System Slips to 2028

May 14, 2026
The Air Force says it has formed a plan with Boeing to get key upgrades deployed across the KC-46 tanker fleet faster—but the service acknowledged it won't start fielding the refueler’s upgraded vision system until 2028, a slight schedule slip.

Air Force Plans to Set New Goal for B-21 Fleet Size in 2028 Budget

May 14, 2026
There's a growing consensus among experts, lawmakers, and Pentagon leaders that the Air Force should buy more than the planned minimum of 100 B-21 stealth bombers. Exactly how many more is a question USAF will likely answer in its 2028 budget request, the service’s top planner said May 13.

Pentagon Pushes Back on CBO’s Trillion-Dollar Golden Dome Estimate

May 14, 2026
A Congressional Budget Office estimate that pegs the 20-year cost of the Pentagon’s Golden Dome program at $1.2 trillion dollars is based on inaccurate assumptions about the advanced missile shield’s architecture, according to the general in charge of the project.