Fun Facts About Aircraft Tires

By Joseph Cooper


Sometimes, it gets somehow interesting when ironic things are combined and is merely useful as one. An example of which is an airplane and its tire, planes are known as means of transportation above air, however, it gets to use tires to be able to fly even if it is not a transportation for land. All aircraft tire suppliers are responsible in supplying the best quality tires for aircraft makers as this plays a significant role to a planes take off and landing.

These tires that are attached to airplanes are basically designed to endure heavy loads only for a short period of time. The number of which that are attached would solely depend on the proportion and structure of the plane. In addition, it also is based on the approximate capacity of plane to carry the entire loads inside it.

These criteria were proven necessary and essential to calculate so that an enough number of wheels would come up. It is important not to put any less and not anything more than enough. That is mainly because these things are ensuring that all scale and mass are equally distributed to all parts of planes and is responsible of balancing its entire structure on and above the ground.

Additionally, fusible plugs are in the interior of the wheel that are assembled to let the tire melt when the temperature is no longer sustained. It is a safety quality during emergencies that includes an unanticipated landings and takeoff. This prevents bursting of wheels when it overheats that are usually caused by too much friction and pressure combined.

Since the tires would melt, this on the other hand could stop the possible explosion due to overheating. Compared to explosion, melting the wheel would mean lesser damage on the plane property and less danger. It is because the melting is anticipated and controlled.

Basically, the interiors of tires are made up of pure nitrogen which helps it lessen its expansion and contraction when it is exposed to a change in temperature and pressure. Normally, aircraft wheels are capable of operating in pressure as high as two hundred pounds per square inches. Though, the maximum pressure it could sustain may reach eight hundred pounds, which may burst in a snap.

Nitrogen is preferably used as means of inflation for the wheels instead oxygen. That is merely because nitrogen are a lot safer components than oxygen that basically is sensitive to pressure and heat. Unlike oxygen, nitrogen is an inert gas that capable of removing any possibility for explosion of tires even when under heat.

Also, oxygen reacts differently when combined with rubber, it tends to elevate the temperature even higher. When wheels are operating in an exact amount of pressure only, it would be lesser for it to wear prematurely. That is important because normally, tires are only good for about three hundred landings making it usable for six months.

When a plane is on process of take offs and landing, the tires are not actually used to control the plane, it can move into whatever motion and direction. Its duty is just to support mass of plane and balance it. Planes, whether on ground or on air are only controlled by its turbine engines.




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