Topic No.

- 4
Aircraft Wheels

The wheels and tyres of an aircraft support it when on the ground and provide
it with a means of mobility for take-off, landing and taxiing.
The pneumatic tyres cushion the aircraft from shocks due to irregularities
both in the ground surface and occasionally, lack of landing technique.
The main wheels, and in some cases nose wheels, house brake units which
control the movement of the aircraft and provide a means of deceleration on
landing.

Aircraft Wheels
Aircraft wheels are so designed as to facilitate tyre replacement. Wheels are
classified as follows:
1.Loose and detachable flange.
2.Divided.

Loose and Detachable Flange Wheel

Wheels of this type, are made with one flange integral with the wheel body,
and the other loose and machined to fit over the wheel rim.
The difference between the loose flange type and the detachable flange type
is the method by which the removable flange is secured,

the loose flange is retained by a locking device on the wheel rim, and the
detachable flange is secured to the wheel body by nuts and bolts.

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A detachable flange may be a single piece, or two or three pieces bolted

together.
LOOSE FLANGE WHEEL

DETACHABLE FLANGE WHEEL

(Split Hub)
The divided wheel consists of two
half wheels, matched up and
connected by bolts which pass
through the two halves, the bolts are
fitted with stiff nuts, or, if one half
of the wheel is tapped, each bolt is
locked with a locking plate.

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This wheel is designed to be used with a tubeless tyre.
A seal, incorporated at the joint, prevents abrasion between the two halves
and provides an airtight joint.
(abrasion- the process of scraping or wearing something away.)
When used with a conventional tyre, the wheel inflation valve is removed to
enable the tube inflation valve to be fitted through the rim.

Creep (DGCA)
When in service, the tyre has a tendency to rotate, creep (slippage) around
the wheel. This creep, if excessive, will tear out the inflation valve and cause
the tyre to burst.
Creep is less likely to occur if the tyre air pressure is correctly maintained,
but additional precautions may be incorporated in the design of the wheel.
Methods of counteracting/monitoring creep are as follows:
Knurled Flange. The inner face of the wheel flange is milled so
that the side pressure of the tyre locks the beads to the flange.

Tapered Bead Seat. The wheel is tapered so that the flange

area is of greater diameter than at the centre of the rim.
When the tyre is inflated, the side pressure forces the bead
outwards to grip the rim.

Creep Marks. Creep can be detected by misalignment of two

matched white lines one painted on the wheel and one on the tyre.

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Wheel Material
Aircraft wheels are either cast or forged, then machined and ground to the
required finish. They are made of:
Aluminium alloy.
Magnesium alloy.

Wheels for Tubeless Tyres

Wheels for tubeless tyres are similar in construction to non-tubeless but have a
finer finish and are impregnated with Bakelite to seal the material.
‘O’ ring seals are used between the parts of the wheel to prevent leakage.
Unlike tubed wheels, the valve is built into the wheel itself and is thus not
affected by creep though creep may still damage the tyre.

Fusible Plugs (DGCA)

Under extra hard braking conditions the heat generated in the wheel, tyre and
brake assembly could be sufficient to cause a tyre blowout, with possible
catastrophic effect to the aircraft.
To prevent a sudden blowout fusible plugs(DGCA) are fitted in some tubeless
wheels.
These plugs are held in position in the wheel hub by means of a fusible alloy,
which melts under excessive heat conditions and allows the plug to be
blown out by the tyre air pressure.
This prevents excessive pressure build-up in the tyre by allowing controlled
deflation of the tyre.
An example of a fusible plug is shown in Figure 4.2, they are made for 3
different temperatures, being colour coded for ease of identification:
Red - 155°C
Green - 177°C
Amber - 199°C

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