Revolutionary Lightweight Material for Aircraft Landing Gear Developed by NIT-Rourkela Researchers

Researchers at NIT-Rourkela have made a significant advancement by developing a lightweight nanocomposite material for aircraft landing gear. This innovative material aims to enhance durability and performance, addressing the limitations of traditional aluminum alloys. The research team, led by Prof. Syed Nasimul Alam, utilized advanced techniques to create a composite that can withstand high-stress conditions, making it suitable for defense aircraft and UAVs. Published in the journal Materials Letters, this breakthrough could lead to safer and more efficient aerospace operations. Read on to learn more about this exciting development in aerospace technology.

By Narendra Chaudhary May 9, 2026, 10:16 IST

Innovative Material for Aircraft Landing Gear

Bhubaneswar/Rourkela: A team of researchers at the National Institute of Technology (NIT)-Rourkela has successfully created a lightweight material aimed at enhancing the durability of aircraft landing gear.

Traditionally, landing gear is constructed from aluminum and its alloys, which are designed to support the aircraft's weight and withstand the rigors of runway contact.

Although aluminum is known for its lightness, its ability to endure extreme stress is often limited.

To overcome this challenge, Prof. Syed Nasimul Alam, an Associate Professor in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at NIT Rourkela, along with his research team, including Dr. Arka Ghosh, Dr. Ashutosh Das, Dr. Pankaj Shrivastava, Nityananda Sahoo, Parth Patel, and Dr. Velaphi Msomi from the University of South Africa, has developed an innovative nanocomposite material suitable for aircraft landing gear.

Their research findings have been published in the esteemed journal, Materials Letters. Nanocomposites consist of materials at the nanoscale, measuring over 100,000 times thinner than a human hair.

To enhance the material's compressive strength and load-bearing capabilities, the research team incorporated carbon nanotubes.

The addition of graphite nanoplatelets further enhanced the properties of the nanocomposite.

To ensure thermal stability, hexagonal boron nitride was utilized, which improved the strength, toughness, and overall performance of the aluminum.

High-frequency sound waves were employed to achieve an even distribution of particles within the aluminum matrix.

The combined materials underwent high-pressure compaction, followed by heating and compression in an oxygen-free environment, resulting in a dense and well-bonded nanocomposite ideal for aerospace applications.

Prof. Alam noted, “The Al-based hybrid nanocomposites developed through spark plasma sintering (SPS) exhibit a uniform distribution of nanofillers in the aluminum matrix, along with exceptional wear resistance due to the synergistic load-bearing mechanism.”

This newly developed nanocomposite holds significant potential for use in defense aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), where lightweight construction and durability are critical, thereby enhancing structural reliability and contributing to safer, more efficient aerospace operations.