How pilots stop airplanes from hydroplaning on wet runways?
In: 385
The speed at which hydroplaning can occur is related to the tire pressure of the vehicle. (Horne’s Formula – speed in knots = 9 times the square root of the tire pressure in pounds per square inch) So, one thing that helps airplanes is having a much higher tire pressure than automobiles. A typical car will have a tire pressure of around 35 psi for a predicted hydroplaning speed of 53 knots (60mph). A typical large passenger plane has a tire pressure of around 200 psi resulting in a predicted hydroplaning speed of around 127 knots (146 mph). Of course, there are other things they do to reduce the effects of hydroplaning such as building the runways to better channel the water away.
Latest Answers