Definition
A mechanical device built into the nose landing gear strut that automatically aligns the nose wheel to the straight-ahead position as the strut extends fully when the aircraft becomes airborne. It typically consists of matching cam and roller surfaces inside the strut that, once the strut is fully extended, force the lower portion of the strut to rotate into the centered position so the nose wheel can retract cleanly into its wheel well.
Plain English
A part inside the nose-wheel leg that automatically straightens the nose wheel as soon as the aircraft lifts off, so the wheel is pointing straight ahead before it tucks up into the aircraft.
Context Anchor
Seen in landing gear maintenance, nosewheel steering discussions, and retractable-gear systems where the nose wheel must be aligned before it enters the wheel well.
Derivation
A 'cam' is a shaped surface that converts one type of motion into another. Here, when the strut extends, the shaped cam surfaces slide against each other and push the wheel into the centered (straight-ahead) position.
Why Pilots Care
Prevents the nose wheel from striking the wheel-well structure or causing gear damage during retraction and extension.
Intuition Check
Do not think of “centering” as something the pilot must do with the pedals after takeoff. The centering cam is a mechanical part that automatically guides the nose wheel back to straight ahead when the gear unloads.
Example Sentence 1
During the gear inspection, the technician checked the nose-gear centering cam for wear to ensure the wheel would align properly during retraction.
Example Sentence 2
The mechanic checked the nose-gear centering cam for wear during the annual inspection.