Influence of Tire Tread Pattern and Runway Surface Condition on Braking Friction and Rolling Resistance of a Modern Aircraft Tire

A series of taxiing tests was conducted at the Langley landing loads track with both braked and unbraked (freely rolling) single and tandem wheels equipped with 32x8.8 type VII aircraft tires of different tread designs to obtain data on tire and braking characteristics during operation on dry and on contaminated concrete and asphalt run ways. Contaminants used were water, slush, JP-4 jet fuel, and organic and detergent fire-extinguishing foams. Forward velocities for the tests ranged from approximately 13 to 104 knots. Vertical loads of approximately 9,000 to 22,000 pounds and tire inflation pressures of 85 to 350 pounds per square inch were used. Results indicated that the unbraked tire rolling resistance increased with increasing forward velocity on dry and on contaminated runway surfaces. Peak tire-ground friction coefficients developed during wheel braking decreased rapidly with increasing velocity on contaminated runways but remained relatively unchanged on dry runways as the forward velocity was increased. Dry-runway friction coefficients were found to be relatively insensitive to tire tread pattern. However, the magnitude of the friction coefficients developed by tires on contaminated runways was extremely sensitive to the tire tread pat tern used, with circumferential-groove treads developing the highest values of friction coefficient, and smooth and dimple treads the lowest values for the tread patterns and runway conditions investigated

Vertical Force-deflection Characteristics of a Pair of 56-inch-diameter Aircraft Tires from Static and Drop Tests with and Without Prerotation

The vertical force-deflection characteristics were experimentally determined for a pair of 56-inch-diameter tires under static and drop-test conditions with and without prerotation. For increasing force, the tires were found to be least stiff for static tests, almost the same as for the static case for prerotation drop tests as long as the tires remain rotating, and appreciably stiffer for drop tests without prerotation

Low-Speed Yawed-Rolling Characteristics of a Pair of 56-Inch-Diameter, 32-Ply-Rating, Type 7 Aircraft Tires

The low-speed (up to 4 miles per hour) yawed-rolling characteristics of two 56 x 16 32-ply-rating, type 7 aircraft tires under straight-yawed rolling were determined over a range of inflation pressures and yaw angles for a vertical load approximately equal to 75 percent of the rated vertical load. The quantities measured or determined included cornering force, drag force self-alining torque, pneumatic caster vertical tire deflection, yaw angle, and relaxation length. During straight-yawed rolling the normal force generally increased with increasing yaw angle within the test range. The self-alining torque increased to a maximum value and then decreased with increasing angle of yaw. The pneumatic caster tended to decrease with increasing yaw angle