Aeroplane wheels

[martint235]

Just watching fighter planes taxiing on telly and I've always wondered if there is drive to a plane's wheels or is all movement handled by the engines?

 

[PhilDawson8270]

They just free wheel. Movement is from the engines

 

[Vapin' Joe]

I wonder if they ever go out of true?

 

[PhilDawson8270]

Would climb faster if they got some aero carbon wheels?

 

[DaveReading]

They just free wheel. Movement is from the engines

Though that might change in the future: http://www.wheeltug.com/

 

[PhilDawson8270]

Though that might change in the future: http://www.wheeltug.com/

That's quite interesting.

Wonder if it would replace the tug vehicles that back the planes away from the stands too?

 

[midlife]

There is steering to the front wheel for taxiing, switched off for take off

Shaun

 

[Dave 123]

What pressures are we talking? Would a track pump do the trick?

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

[QUOTE 3802569, member: 9609"]I know someone in the tyre industry who worked with tyres on passenger planes, he reckons the acceleration forces on the tyres are so massive on landing they will try to rotate on the rims, they have to have very special tyres to cope with the extreme torsional forces. (rapid loading of 20ton plus per tyre whilst being accelerated near instantaneously to 170+ mph)[/QUOTE]
Hence, the tyre-smoke on touch down, as they start to rotate rapidly

 

[Diggs]

[QUOTE 3802569, member: 9609"]I know someone in the tyre industry who worked with tyres on passenger planes, he reckons the acceleration forces on the tyres are so massive on landing they will try to rotate on the rims, they have to have very special tyres to cope with the extreme torsional forces. (rapid loading of 20ton plus per tyre whilst being accelerated near instantaneously to 170+ mph)[/QUOTE]
You don't want to mix your radial and cross ply on those then!

 

[Broadside]

[QUOTE 3802569, member: 9609"]I know someone in the tyre industry who worked with tyres on passenger planes, he reckons the acceleration forces on the tyres are so massive on landing they will try to rotate on the rims, they have to have very special tyres to cope with the extreme torsional forces. (rapid loading of 20ton plus per tyre whilst being accelerated near instantaneously to 170+ mph)[/QUOTE]

I used to fly light aircraft and tyre creep can be a big issue if left undetected. Have a look at lots of small planes and you will notice a stripe painted from the sidewall on to the rim, if the line breaks then the tyre has crept and you can expect a flat anytime soon when the valve rips off the tube.

 

[pplpilot]

There are more forces on an aicraft tyres / undercarriage during take off than landing. Fact.

Checking the 'creep' marks is one of the first thing you do on a pre flight walk around.

 

[tyred]

Strange but true - a local tyre dealer had bought a lorry load of second hand aircraft tyres them and they ended up on tractor trailers. 16" x 20" iirc. Nice balloon tyre to fit old six stud Ford/Bedford lorry rims who's axles often ended up being used for farm implements when the lorries went to the great haulage yard in the ssky.

 

[BrumJim]

@machew on here works for a company that makes aircraft tyres.

 

[Globalti]

The tyre on my wheelbarrow looks like an aircraft tyre. My Irish neighbour gave me the wheel barrow when the tyre went flat and he didn't think it could be repaired so he went and bought a new barrow. He's a doctor as well......