A retractable nose landing gear assembly for an aircraft is disclosed, which includes an elongated strut cylinder defining a longitudinal axis, an elongated strut piston mounted for reciprocal movement relative to the strut cylinder between a shrunk condition when the landing gear is retracted into a wheel well of an aircraft and a fully extended condition when the landing gear is deployed from the wheel well for landing the aircraft, and wherein the strut piston is mounted for rotation about the axis of the strut cylinder for steering the aircraft while taxiing on the ground, and a locking mechanism operatively associated with the strut cylinder for preventing rotation of the strut piston about the axis of the strut cylinder when the landing gear is in a shrunk condition retracted within the wheel well of the aircraft during flight.