Tyre construction

Shock Absorber
Aqua planning
FINSEN RESKY SEMBIRING
 INTRODUCTION

 An aircraft tyre must withstand a wide range of conditions.

 When on the ground, it must support the weight of the aircraft.
 During taxiing it must provide a stable, cushioned ride whilst
resisting heat generation, abrasion and wear.
 During take-off, the tyre structure must be able to endure, not
only the aircraft load, but also the forces generated at high
speed.
 Landing requires the tyre to absorb impact shocks whilst
transmitting high dynamic braking loads to the ground.
 All the above must be accomplished as well as providing a long
reliable service.
There are two types of aircraft tyres:
 Tubed tyres
 Tubeless tyres

To assist in describing the tyre it is divided into REGIONS:

 The CROWN area is where the tyre tread is located.
 The SHOULDER area is where the tread reinforcement, undertread
and carcass plies are located, backing the tread.
 The SIDEWALL area is where the carcass plies are located giving
sidewall flexibility.
 The BEAD area is where the steel wire bundles provide strength to
anchor the tyre to the wheel.
The Regions of a Tyre
 Tyre Construction
 Same for tubed and tubeless tyres with the rubber used being
NATURAL RUBBER.
 Tyre consists of several layers or plies of nylon fabric
impregnated with rubber and formed with a rubber tread and
bound by steel wire beading.
 Nylon fabric reinforces the rubber casing and, as the material is
impregnated with the natural rubber, the tyre can flex.

TYPES OF TYRE PLY CONSTRUCTION

There are two types of tyre ply construction:
 Radial ply constructed tyres.
 Bias ply constructed tyres.
Radial ply constructed tyres.

Each layer of ply is laid at an angle of 90

to the centreline or direction of rotation of
the tyre.

Each successive layer is laid at the same

angle.
Bias Ply Constructed Tyres

Each layer of ply is laid at angles of between

30 and 60 to the centreline or direction of
rotation of the tyre.

Successive plies are laid with the cord angles

opposite to each other to provide balanced
carcass strength.
 AQUAPLANING

 Aquaplaning is caused by a film of water under the tyre which

builds up an increasing resistance to being displaced, and forms
a wedge of water under the tyre. This gradually lifts the tyre,
reducing its area of contact, until in some cases the tyre is lifted
off the runway and is aquaplaning. This greatly reduces both the
braking efficiency and directional control of the aircraft.
Types of Aquaplaning
 Dynamic aquaplaning occurs when there is standing water and the
tyre’s contact area is lifted completely clear of the runway surface.
Water about one tenth of an inch deep could cause this.
 Viscous aquaplaning is caused when there is a thin film of water on
the runway or taxiway, and can occur at low speeds. In this type, the
tyre cannot penetrate the thin film of water which may be no more
than one thousandth of an inch deep and rolls on top of it. It needs a
smooth surface such as the rubber deposits on a runway threshold.
 REVERTED RUBBER AQUAPLANING is the third type and this occurs
during a prolonged locked wheel skid on a wet runway. Friction caused
by the skid increases the temperature of the tyre, causing the rubber
particles to build up at the rear of the tyre contact area. This forms a
‘seal’ delaying the escape of water. The water then boils and is
converted into steam which lifts the tyre off the surface of the runway.
A typical large transport aircraft with a main
wheel tyre pressure of 190 lbs/in2 will have a
minimum aquaplaning speed of 118 knots. If
the take off speed (V2) at maximum take off
weight is 160 knots and the maximum landing
weight touchdown speed is 150 knots, the
aquaplaning range is 118 knots to 160 knots
(a range of 42 knots) and 150 to 118 knots (32
knots) respectively.
These calculated speeds are for the start of aquaplaning.
Once aquaplaning has started it can continue until
speeds well below these figures, depending on which
type of aquaplaning is occurring.

The possibility of aquaplaning can be reduced when

landing on wet runways by ensuring that the WEIGHT OF
THE AIRCRAFT is put on to the undercarriage as soon as
possible after touchdown. On large aircraft this is
achieved by using the spoilers. Pilots will also avoid
landing at excessively high speeds, which is the practice
in gusty conditions. It is also importantv to apply the
brakes with care to avoid locking the wheels.
SHOCK ABSORBERS
It is fairly simple to design an undercarriage capable of absorbing
landing impacts, but less easy to prevent it from rebounding.
In the first instance, ‘landing-shocks’ are cushioned by the tyres
and rebound here cannot be prevented.
The shocks are transmitted through the wheel, which runs on an
axle which is attached to the lower end of some type of ‘leg’.
In larger aircraft the leg incorporates a telescopic mechanism
which absorbs landing shocks but resists rebound.
The illustration shows the basic components of an undercarriage
unit and the loads imposed.
OLEO-PNEUMATIC STRUT

 Some fixed main undercarriages, most fixed nose undercarriages and

most retractable undercarriages are fitted with an oleo-pneumatic shock
absorber strut.
 The design of individual struts varies considerably, and reference should
be made to the appropriate Maintenance Manual for a particular type.

 There are two types of oleo-pneumatic shock absorber:

• With separator
• Without separator
 OLEO-PNEUMATIC SHOCK ABSORBER WITH
SEPARATOR

 The oleo leg consists of an outer cylinder in which slides a plunger tube or lower
cylinder. The lower cylinder is prevented from rotating by torsion links which secure
it to the outer cylinder. The lower cylinder piston head contains a spring loaded
flutter plate which normally covers holes drilled through the head. Small holes
outside the diameter of the flutter plate act as restrictors.

 The shock absorber is charged with oil and compressed air or nitrogen. A floating
separator in the lower cylinder separates the oil from the gas. The top of the outer
cylinder is closed and is fitted with two oil filler plugs. The bottom of the lower
cylinder is fitted with a gas charging valve.