From kls Tue Jan 5 00:24:10 1993 Newsgroups: sci.aeronautics.airliners Path: news From: Stephen L Nicoud Subject: Tire burn-out during landings X-Submission-Date: Sun, 3 Jan 93 16:36:44 PST References: Message-ID: Approved: kls@ohare.Chicago.COM Sender: kls@ohare.Chicago.COM X-Submission-Message-Id: <9301040036.AA00365@moclips.boeing.com> Date: 05 Jan 93 00:24:10 PST From: drchambe@tekig5.pen.tek.com (Dennis Chamberlin) Date: 29 Dec 92 12:39:16 PST I recall an old issue of AWST that described the certification flight test program for the first 747. The flight test budget included a 3 million $ line item for "Wheels, tires, and brakes". At least one of these tests was known to be destructive. The worst-case demonstration of a takeoff abort would seem to thoroughly cook all of the tires and brakes. I don't know if any of the wheels were savable. I don't know about FAA certification, but I have some flight test footage of a fully-loaded E-4 landing (or was it takeoff abort?) during Air Force testing (prior to delivery, I believe) where the tires and gear caught fire. Some of the tires exploded. As I recall (it's been a few years since I viewed the tape) at one point it appears that some shrapnel actually punches through the wing. I seem to recall that the crew made hasty exits by jumping from the main cabin door. The rescue trucks are also shown successfully (apparently) putting out the fires, although it took them at least a minute to reach the plane. Stephen -- Stephen L Nicoud bcstec!bcsaic!stephen Boeing Computer Services Research and Technology Bellevue, Washington USA "I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks."