Why don't they...?

[Ryanm]

Doesn't take too much time to change a wheel assembly, and they often use re-treads. Each maintenance will have several ready to go.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

They devised a system for reducing take off roll for the C130 (and probably others) - RATO (Rocket assisted take off).You'd probably need quite a few for a 747 and I can just see the passenger's faces when they fire up.

I remember seeing pics of c-130s carrying out "Khe San" departures, but I'm sure that the U.S. used some kind of strap on bottles with the Catalina flying boats in ww2 ? I'm sure I read something about that somewhere in the dusty past. . . one of my Yank friends called them JATO bottles. . . . ( Jet Assisted Take Off ? )

 

But Frank Whittle hadn't made a miniaturised neat little jet engine to fit in a bottle at that point in time I don't think. . . so if they DID use "Strap - on" auxilliary thrust booster devices to "get off" rough water after picking up ditched airmen, then they more than likely were pyrotechnical . . . . . ( I wonder if a brave crewman had to lean out of the fuselage viewing blisters and light them with a Zippo ??? ) Phil

 

 

[Marty_d]

I remember seeing pics of c-130s carrying out "Khe San" departures, but I'm sure that the U.S. used some kind of strap on bottles with the Catalina flying boats in ww2 ? I'm sure I read something about that somewhere in the dusty past. . . one of my Yank friends called them JATO bottles. . . . ( Jet Assisted Take Off ? )But Frank Whittle hadn't made a miniaturised neat little jet engine to fit in a bottle at that point in time I don't think. . . so if they DID use "Strap - on" auxilliary thrust booster devices to "get off" rough water after picking up ditched airmen, then they more than likely were pyrotechnical . . . . . ( I wonder if a brave crewman had to lean out of the fuselage viewing blisters and light them with a Zippo ??? ) Phil

My apologies, you are correct - a quick straw poll of Google seems to confirm the acronym is indeed JATO, despite the fact that they are solid fuel rockets and not jet engines.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

My apologies, you are correct - a quick straw poll of Google seems to confirm the acronym is indeed JATO, despite the fact that they are solid fuel rockets and not jet engines.

Hey Marty. . . . don't apologise !! I only got that from airfield bar-room scuttlebut, my usual reference place for important info . . . you get to listen in on all sorts of interesting stuff !

 

All you have to do to fit in, is KEEP QUIET. . . look a bit old and wizened and nod your head knowingly when some REAL pilot says something which sounds right ( ! ) On a slightly Off-topic track, have you ever been in a bar full of REAL aviators, ( All the REAL ones seem to dress in civvies ) and then some twit saunters into the bar dressed in a military flying suit and maps sticking out of his kneepads carrying a helmet. . . "Look at me you guys, I'm a PILOT" ! . . . . . . you can almost feel the collective GROAN. . . .! ! !

 

Phil

 

 

[Marty_d]

Hey Marty. . . . don't apologise !! I only got that from airfield bar-room scuttlebut, my usual reference place for important info . . . you get to listen in on all sorts of interesting stuff !All you have to do to fit in, is KEEP QUIET. . . look a bit old and wizened and nod your head knowingly when some REAL pilot says something which sounds right ( ! ) On a slightly Off-topic track, have you ever been in a bar full of REAL aviators, ( All the REAL ones seem to dress in civvies ) and then some twit saunters into the bar dressed in a military flying suit and maps sticking out of his kneepads carrying a helmet. . . "Look at me you guys, I'm a PILOT" ! . . . . . . you can almost feel the collective GROAN. . . .! ! !

 

Phil

Looking old and wizened... I can do that.

 

I think that holds true for almost everything in life... keep quiet and look knowledgeable, and people assume you are! That's how I've kept my job for the last 24 years...

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

JATOs...the Germans used rocket assist pods on several aircraft types during WW2....most notably on the huge 6 engined "gigant which started out as a huge glider capable of carrying tanks, and towed aloft by three twin-engined Me 110s (not always successfully ) They finally fitted six rocket pods to them for additional push, with each burning for about 2 minutes before dropping off. Many of the test flights of the Gigant were carried put by the female test pilot Hannah Reich, who stated that the control forces were almost too heavy for her to handle.

 

Spinning wheels...Some DC-3s or C47s had small metal 'buckets' fitted to the wheel rims, to spin them up for landing once they were lowered. I recall as a kid riding over to the RAAF base at Townsville and watching those wheels turning as they came over me for landing............................Maj...

 

 

[pmccarthy]

JATO was used on the Catalina Frigate Bird 2 for the pioneering pacific crossing. Have the book on my shelf.

 

 

[facthunter]

Wheel spinup ( to indicate you are on the ground) is used to deploy spoilers to put the weight on the wheels so you get effective braking. Without spoilers deployed you get little braking especially just after touchdown.. Tyres have chines to deflect snow and water from engines. The wheel hubs are just full of brake assemblies like a pile of clutch plates and fans sometimes as well. Without the antiskid operating you would most likely blow all tyres on a large aircraft unless the runway was long enough to use very gentle braking.

 

When landing on a runway with a measurable depth of water you don't try to do a greaser. this will cause a large area to become reverted rubber ( water forming steam gouges the rubber off) and the tyre will be badly damaged. It can also aquaplane and the wheel may rotate backwards with no adhesion whatever. nev

 

 

[Jabiru7252]

I asked a pilot this and he says because the wear on landing is only a small percentage of the total wear and that the tyres are replaced so often that it would make little difference.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Most tyres I've replaced in my career have been- 50% worn below safe limits, and 50% flat-spotted due excessive braking or aqua planning . Once a tyre gets even a small flat-spot it will want to flat spot in the same area again. Because of this sometimes tyres with only a couple of hours on them need to be scrapped because of flat spots.

 

GA tyres used on ULs take a long time to wear, as they are only supporting a fraction of the weight that they are rated for. They rarely flat spot for the same reason.........................Maj...