Aircraft tires are subjected to hard work throughout their lifetime, undergoing constant accelerations, supporting the weight of the aircraft, resisting the heat of runways exposed to the sun, and intense braking. Today we will know different curiosities about aircraft tires that will show us the technology related to their manufacture and development.
Contents
1.- The first airplane tire
Goodyear, through its engineers, was the first company to develop a tire to be used on an airplane in 1909; it was intended to be light, puncture-resistant, and easy to be replaced on the aircraft. From that time until now, wheels have evolved with better technologies that make them more durable.
2.- Materials used to make an aircraft wheel
More than 200 materials are used to make aircraft wheels, however, the main material used to make an airplane wheel is rubber, and to a lesser extent, various fabrics and steel are also used, and chemicals are also used to adapt and modify the aforementioned materials.
3.- Life span
Currently, there is no study that can assure the exact lifetime of a tire, however, the conditions under which a tire must be replaced are known with precision. The life of the tire will depend on the conditions of the runway where it is used, the intended use of the aircraft (cargo or passenger transport), and the weather conditions in which it operates. However, on average, the wheels of an aircraft that operates regularly last around 3 to 4 weeks.
4.- Can an aircraft wheel be reused?
Aircraft wheels can be reused, but they must go through a restoration process that basically consists of removing the worn tread in order to apply a new tread through a thermal process. This “retreading” process can be carried out up to 7 times, which reduces the cost of tires by up to 30%, without forgetting that the environmental pollution caused by the disposal of tires is also reduced.
5.- What is its price?
To have a clear notion we will take the example of the price of a wheel on a large airplane like a Boeing 777, which costs around 4,000 and 6,000 US dollars, the Boeing 777 uses 14 wheels so the approximate cost can reach up to 84,000 dollars. As you can see, aircraft maintenance requires a high cost, so in view of the pandemic and the decrease in operations, many have warned of the possible bankruptcy of multiple airlines.
What do you think about this topic, do you know other curious facts about airplane wheels?
If you have any doubt or question you can contact us or write your query in the comments section below.
Image by Annca pictures via Pixabay under Creative Commons license.
