Design｜ Landing gear

The responsibility and pride of playing a part in national defense.: R.KJoined in 2023

#New graduates (college, university, graduate school)#Technical jobs

My job description: I work on maintenance design for landing gear for transport aircraft, patrol aircraft, and flying boats used by Ministry of Defense. Maintenance design involves managing changes to drawings for products already in operation. Even after the product has been put into operation, minor changes are often incorporated. In these cases, I examine the drawings to ensure that changes will not affect functionality, performance, or quality, and submit these to our aircraft manufacturers. This also applies to parts that are outsourced to suppliers. Since my work involves interacting with many people, both inside and outside the company, I require strong communication skills and a flexible approach. I also perform landing analysis, which analyzes the load placed on the landing gear when an aircraft lands. I feel joy knowing that the results of my work contribute to greater air safety.
Job satisfaction: I find great satisfaction in knowing that my work plays a part in national defense. One time, when social conditions overseas became unstable, I saw the news that the government had dispatched a C-2 transport plane to evacuate Japanese citizens. The news footage captured the C-2 transport plane taking off, and that was also the moment our company's landing gear headed off to rescue the people. I'm the type of person who is motivated by helping others and receiving gratitude, so at that moment I felt the importance and reward of my work. Another rewarding aspect of my work is landing analysis. I find it fascinating to simulate and analyze the behavior of landing gear, which is made up of many parts, during landing, and to develop analytical methods with my own hands to ensure the safety of the aircraft.
The difficulty of the job: Making design changes is quite a difficult task. Aircraft landing gear has many parts and a complex mechanism, so a lot of knowledge is required. Even if the design is valid, we cannot accept designs that are difficult to manufacture or assemble. There are also many things that must be considered, such as not using materials that are difficult to obtain. Therefore, design changes cannot be made without a wide range of knowledge. To be honest, experience is important in some areas, so I still have a lot to learn.
Furthermore, because landing analysis uses mechanical analysis software that uses three-dimensional models, I participate in external training courses and try out the information I gain there with my own hands. Proceeding through repeated trial and error is difficult, but it's also an area that stimulates the spirit of an engineer.

Daily work schedule

8:30

Go to the office

After checking the email, I will begin the maintenance design work.
09:00

This involves preparing documents, conducting technical reviews, and reviewing proposed design changes and drawing modifications.
12:00

Lunch break

I eat a lunch box I made by myself. and enjoy playing free tennis (a kind of mini-tennis).
13:00

Analysis work

We will use a three-dimensional model of the landing gear to create a landing analysis model.
15:30

Department meeting

I will explain the changes to the drawings for the model I am in charge of at a departmental meeting and have them reviewed.
17:00

Document creation

Continuing from this morning. Sometimes we go to the factory to see the products.
17:15

Leaving the company

My regular working hours are 5:15pm, but I sometimes work overtime if I need to think things through.
19:00

Returning Home

I enjoy cooking, so I cook my own dinner.

The good points of the company: The convenient location of Amagasaki Head Office & Main Plant is an appealing feature. It's only about a 10-minute train ride from Umeda. Kyoto and Kobe are also easily accessible via train. With easy access to Itami Airport, returning to my hometown of Miyazaki is a breeze. The company atmosphere is also something I'm proud of. If I have a problem, I feel free to ask my superiors or coworkers for advice. Everyone is very accommodating, which is very helpful. It doesn't feel like the company is just treating me well because it's work. I feel like they value interpersonal connections. I'm still on good terms with my coworkers from other departments, and I sometimes hang out with coworkers in their 40s and 50s. Recently, I've been taken to Koshien Stadium a lot, cheering for Tigers and then having a drink before heading home. I wasn't originally interested in baseball, but my superiors have gradually nurtured me into becoming a Tigers fan.
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