What type of landing gear configuration does the F/A-18 E/F have?

The F/A-18 E/F is equipped with a tricycle landing gear configuration, which consists of a nose gear and two main gears located towards the rear of the aircraft. This configuration offers several advantages, such as improved stability during takeoff and landing, and it allows for a more efficient design in terms of weight distribution and balance.

The tricycle setup minimizes the risk of the aircraft tipping forward during landings, reducing the occurrences of nose gear damage. Additionally, this design facilitates a more straightforward ground handling process while taxiing and during maneuvering on the runway.

In contrast, other landing gear configurations, such as conventional (tailwheel) or taildragger designs, lack the stability characteristics that tricycle gear provides, particularly for high-speed jets like the F/A-18 E/F. Retractable landing gear refers to the mechanism that allows the wheels to be stowed within the aircraft’s body during flight to reduce drag, which is indeed a feature of the F/A-18 E/F, but it does not describe the configuration type itself. Thus, the tricycle landing gear is the correct and optimal configuration for this aircraft.