Video answers: Why the 737 doesn’t have landing-gear doors

Here are the answers to last Friday’s video, enjoy!

Suggested ICAO level for video: 5+

Boeing wanted the 737 to be low to the ground, as a result they realized that they didn’t have enough space for landing-gear doors.
They’re heavy and complex, making the plane heavier and more likely to have a problem and cause delays.
No, the landing-gear doors cover the wings and landing gear struts, but not the wheels.
Boeing engineers decided to place hubcaps on the wheels to reduce the drag.
If the hubcaps are lost there is a significant fuel penalty that the pilots have to apply to the flight plan.
Boeing uses rubber blade seals to remove the gap between the wheel and the wheel-well bay.
As the main landing gear is retracted, the brakes are applied to stop the wheels spinning.
Icing doesn’t affect the wheels as the aircraft flies because that’s not an area of the plane that typically suffers from icing. Icing usually forms on wing leading edges, horizontal stabilizers, tail fin and the nose.