<VV> Nitrogen in tires and air

[Jim Davis]

The Concord tire blew on take-off not landing.  Landing is hard on tire 
wear but not stressful on the tire.  Take-off speed on a 480,000 lb B-52 
is about 180 knots (207 mph).  Take-off and landing speeds are greatly 
dependent on air density.   Landing speed of a 220,000 lb B-52 is about 
120 knots (138 mph).   Tires last about 50 landings are recapped about 
200 times before the carcass shows damage.  Tires and magnesium wheels 
weigh 256 lbs each.   Tires are 27  ply nylon bias ply with steel 
threads imbedded in the rubber tread.  Pressure is 250 psi of dry nitrogen.
Jim Davis
a very old USAF aircraft maintenance officer


On 12/31/2013 8:14 PM, MarK Durham wrote:
> Correct. At the altitudes and temps cars drive. But at the temps and
> barometric pressure changes aircraft tires experience, it helps lower costs
> of tires and maintenance plus landing a heavy aircraft on a low set of
> tires is dangerous. You would pull Corvair to the side of the road. A
> Concorde SST was downed when a tire blew up.
> Mark Durham Hauser Idaho