(YouTube) Wildcat undercarriage.
For planes with non-truck undercarriages, can they be rotated around the lateral axis of the main landing gear with the brakes applied without causing translation?
My answer is no, they must be locked and there must be translation (image below).
I had the following comment on a recent answer, and frankly I'm not quite sure, hence the question.
[They] are wheels. The whole structure is free to rotate around this 'locked' axle...
I don't agree, imagine chocks are placed forward of the main landing gear:
- A) Frame is locked, blue man can't lift as he can't cause translation.
- B) Frame is not locked, plane rotates around wheels (from the wheels' perspective, they're free moving).
(Original) Above shows what I mean by translation, the plane moves forward (blue distance) with the wheel—plane frame (red lines) being locked. (Brakes are applied.)
Note: This question has nothing to do with deceleration or a running engine.