Alternate Launch and Recovery Surface Traction Characteristics

The rapid repair of bomb-damaged runways is of increasing concern to the U.S. Air Force, therefore, expedient repair concepts are being developed. Aircraft performance effects imposed by the repair treatments include: tire flotation, aircraft weight, landing dynamics, and the forces generated at the tire/runway surface interface. This study focuses on tire/runway surface interface forces and was initiated to evaluate several surfaces with respect to their relative tractive and lateral force potential. Three damage repair surface materials, a baseline concrete surface, and a ceramic aluminized marking strip were tested. Quasi-static tests were run at seven tire yaw angles, with and without braking under dry, wet, and icy conditions.