INVESTIGATIONS ON THE GROUND PERFORMANCE OF AIRCRAFT RELATING TO WET RUNWAY BRAKING AND SLUSH DRAG

Abstract

Abstract : A review is made of recent research relating to the ground performance of aircraft. Since many of the investigations have been conducted at the NASA Landing Loads Track, a brief description of the track and its capabilities is given. Various factors affecting landing and take-off distances are discussed, such as the runway surface conditions, whether dry, wet, or covered with slush, and the tire tread pattern and its state of wear. Performance calculations are presented for a typical jet transport showing the effect of runway slush on the take-off distance; also shown are the effects of tire-to-runway braking coefficients on landing runout distances. The Report concludes with indications of areas of interest for future research.