WT Forums

Quite a few years ago I read an article in TAC Attack about hydroplaning. The article stated that there are three types of hydroplaning that may be experienced in aircraft:

1) Viscous Hydroplaning - The tire rides on a film of water.

2) Reverted Rubber Hydroplaning - The tire rides on a film of melted rubber.

3) ???????????? - The tire rides on a film of steam.

I'd like to include a chart on hydroplaning, because it's an interesting subject, but I can't think of the name for ????? above. Can any of you shed some light on this?

Thanks,

Bob

I had no idea there was more than one kind of hydroplaning. Since you can't predict and schedule tire changes around the daily forecast, we have the year divided into two sections - dry weather and wet weather. In dry weather you change the main tires when you have a 12" bald spot and the nose when it's showing red cord. In wet weather you change them when you have less than 2/32 of tread left.

Liberalism is a mental disorder.

Maybe one of the stick actuators can corect me but I believe the formula for hydroplaning is the square root of your tire pressure multiplied by nine.

"By this time tomorrow I shall have gained either a peerage or Westminster Abbey !" Nelson the Immortal Memory

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YGBSM !

That is the correct formula.

Coach

What is the formula used for or what does it indicate? Speed at which hydroplaning occurs? Something else?

Bob

It is the speed that hydroplanning occurs with a given amount of water on the ramp.

"By this time tomorrow I shall have gained either a peerage or Westminster Abbey !" Nelson the Immortal Memory

_________________
YGBSM !

Wet weather wear criteria is a local option. You check your most worn tread groove every 120% and if the average is less than 2/32", you change it. Most bases (A-10) don't use it. I remember using wet weather criteria at DM. It's in the desert!!!

Hydroplanning is nasty in a FBW Jet....those nasty Squat Switches are linked to the computer to control Flight Control Rates. It was a safety Feature for Carrier landings. Problem is. A few F18 pilots have died from this. The F18 Limits Yaw Control on Landing, yaw control is very important on a standing water Runway.

The three types of hydroplaning that I know of (and the ones you will find in most text books) are:
1. Dynamic- Can't remove the water fast enough...it's formula is 9 x square root of PSI in tire
2. Viscous- Mixture of water and oil/other substances creates a more slippery surface...can occur at slower speeds than dynamic,
3. Rubber reversion- Caused by high pressure, superheated steam in the area of the footprint of the tire.
These are actually all discussed in the -1 of the A-10, although the equation is not.