How Giant Airplane Tires are ACTUALLY Made

did you know that airplane tires are also made from rubber just like car tires but don't get things confused compared to car tires these tires go through a delicate manufacturing process which involves a variety of intricate machines and techniques at a rigorous testing process to that which puts them under extreme conditions and you can truly see what these tires are put through to ensure the plane's safety with such a lengthy and complicated process it's no wonder that they cost six thousand dollars each the two major components of the entire aircraft are without a doubt the aircraft tires and the landing gear if either of them fails it can result in a devastating accident for example suppose the landing gear fails in that case the aircraft may be unable to land safely which can lead to a crash as the landing gear is responsible for supporting the aircraft's weight during takeoff landing and taxing in the extreme cases where the landing gear fails Pilots are forced to land the plane doing extremely risky Maneuvers to avoid a more catastrophic outcome same goes for when an airplane tire fails if an airplane tire fails the pilot may be forced to make an emergency landing however without airplane tires no aircraft would be able to safely land or take off this is why they're so important to the aircraft they have a role in supporting the weight of the airplane and all the people in it when it lands some airplanes contain four or six tires whereas others can contain up to 10 Tires For example the Boeing 777 uses 14 tires while the enormous Antonov an-225 is fitted with 32 tires due to their amazing durability one airplane tire can go through about 500 Landings before it needs to be repaired in the past there have been only a few cases where an airplane tire has failed and currently the landing gear in the airplane's tires are some of the most reliable parts of the aircraft the simplistic appearance of airplane tires might make some people take them for granted but once you see what it takes to design them you'll appreciate them even more when you consider the forces that aircraft tires endure it seems amazing that Engineers were ever able to develop them this stage begins when the aircraft manufacturer goes to the tire manufacturer with the size and weight requirements the process starts with a computer simulation and design in which the manufacturer can test the tire's performance before the design is finalized they can test how the tires will react when pushed past their speed limit and how they perform unsimulated takeoffs and landings Engineers have a challenging task when designing tires they have to keep in mind that these tires will constantly be put under a lot of pressure in weight hey all of this is considered when the tires are designed Engineers first design various prototypes that are put through rigorous tests that simulate cycles of Landings takeoffs and taxi operations after the tires have passed all the simulations and mandatory tests the tire can move to the next stage of production if any problems become Apparent at this stage of the manufacturing process the engineers go back and look through the test to determine the cause in some cases they redesigned the tire so it's more durable and operates even better once the Design's completed the tire manufacturer can choose what kind of material to use although airplane tires are made of rubber just like the tires on cars they don't use the same rubber they may look similar but airplane tires are made of a special type of rubber that's not found in car tires this material is called conductive Rubber and it's designed specifically to conduct electricity it's a rubber based material through which electricity can easily flow because electricity is created through friction when the plane lands on the runway manufacturers have to use the proper materials to ensure that the tires don't explode due to high friction that's why the use of conductive rubber is a necessity besides this material an airplane tire also has some other layers such as Kevlar this is a super strong plastic that's used to reinforce the tires Kevlar is typically used because it's strong flexible heat resistant and lightweight which are all Pros when it comes to making an aircraft Tire each tire has 14 layers that only add to its durability flexibility is a key factor in making airplane tires it allows the plane to absorb more of the shock of landing and has also been proven to slow down the wearing down of tires once the materials are determined then the actual manufacturing process of the aircraft Tire can begin now after designing the tire and picking out the best materials the tire is sent to the manufacturing stage where it's put together the structure of the aircraft Tire consists of four materials rubber nylon cord and steel while the actual tire is made of a few layers including rubber among them the structure that holds the tires together or the landing gear is assembled from a combination of struts wheels and other components these tires are combined using a vulcanization process which is a chemical process for converting polymers into more durable materials during the manufacturing stage Precision is key for creating durable tires and Flawless landing gear that will serve the aircraft for a long time as the landing gear is put together and the tires are installed onto the landing gear they also have to be inflated to ensure their safety and durability the pressure of the air inside the tire is what supports the whole airplane airplane tires are inflated to 200 PSI which is about six times the pressure used in a car tire an over-inflated Tire can damage the wheel of the plane but is unlikely to blow while an under-inflated tire is more likely to suffer a blowout most of the heavier planes have their tires filled with nitrogen instead of air why nitrogen well nitrogen is an inert gas which means that high temperatures and pressure have less effect also this gas diffuses through rubber much slower than oxygen allowing it to maintain pressure for longer which means less maintenance and lower costs after the tires in the landing gear have been put together it's time for the manufacturer to further test the tires aircraft tires need to be certified by the FAA and the TSO which set standards for aircraft tires including how they're tested and the limits of their endurance Tire testing is a cost-effective way to ensure that the tires meet specifications and it leads to increased understanding and reduce risks for Prototype testing most of the tires you see on aircraft have been through rigorous testing where they've been put under a lot of pressure to see how much they can withstand when the plane's about to take off for land the tires and the entire landing gear is constantly exposed to harsh weather conditions whether that's rain ice or snow these tires need to perform without any mishaps during these tests the manufacturer can see what their tires are capable of and how much over the limit they can be pushed before they explode the tires need to withstand High forces when touching down on the runway without blowing up all of these tests are separately done one after another in realistic conditions after the testing is completed and the tire's been proven to be durable and safe it receives certification by the FAA and can then be installed onto an aircraft from the Massive Tires that can cost up to six thousand dollars each to the complex and crucial landing gear assemblies that can cost millions of dollars to replace the price tag for keeping a plane in the air is staggering the cost of landing gear varies however in some cases the landing gear can be more expensive than the rest of the aircraft parts for example a single landing gear assembly for a Boeing 747 can cost up to 2 million dollars while a landing gear assembly for an Airbus A380 can cost around 4 million dollars these high costs are due to the complexity of the landing gear in the extreme conditions it must withstand during takeoffs and Landings given the high costs involved aircraft manufacturers take extensive measures to ensure that the landing gear is built to a high standard along with frequent maintenance and inspections to ensure it's always in top condition to ensure the landing gear has a long life span it must undergo regular maintenance regular inspection of the landing gear followed by cleaning and replacing Warner damage components is crucial to ensure the safety of the entire plane each part of the landing gear is regularly inspected and if there's anything wrong it has to be immediately fixed while the airplane's still in maintenance by following rigorous maintenance procedures and regularly inspecting and servicing the landing gear aircraft manufacturers can ensure that the landing gear is reliable and able to perform its critical functions bye for now

Channel: Beyond Facts

Views: 20,020

Keywords: airplane tires, airplane, planes

Id: QFk-SXY4wUA

Length: 8min 27sec (507 seconds)

Published: Mon Mar 13 2023