Landing gear takes more repeated stress than almost any other part on the airframe, and yet it’s one of the most overlooked items on a pre-flight check. Here’s what to look for.
Hairline cracks or white stress marks. Carbon fibre doesn’t bend gracefully — instead, repeated stress shows up as fine white lines or surface cracking near the mounting points or the tightest curve of the leg. Any visible cracking means retirement, not repair.
A leg that no longer sits level. If one side of your gear sits noticeably lower or at a different angle than the other after a hard landing, even without visible damage, there may be internal fibre damage you can’t see. A gentle flex test (by hand, gear off the model) comparing both legs side by side is a good habit.
Loose or elongated mounting holes. Repeated vibration and shock loading can wear out the mounting holes over time, particularly on models that see a lot of grass strip use. Elongated or oval holes mean the gear is no longer being held rigidly, which accelerates wear elsewhere.
Wheel wobble that wasn’t there before. Sometimes it’s the axle or wheel collet rather than the gear itself, but a wobble that’s developed gradually is worth investigating properly rather than tightening and ignoring.
You genuinely can’t remember when you last replaced it. Carbon fibre landing gear doesn’t have a fixed service life in hours, but if a leg has seen several seasons of regular grass strip landings, it’s earned a proper inspection at minimum.
None of this needs to be expensive or complicated — a five-minute check before the season starts, and after any landing that felt harder than usual, catches almost everything above before it becomes a real problem.
For a real-world example, have a look at our Carbon Fiber Landing Gear For 26cc-35cc / 50cc / 80cc / 100cc / 150cc / 200cc Airplane Flight.