4 ms·
They probably use a different ~~tarmac~~ material composition for the runway.
by konschubert 4y ago
They probably use a different ~~tarmac~~ material composition for the runway.
- kube-system 4y agoLuton is all asphalt. The long runway at Yuma is concrete and the shorter ones are part asphalt part concrete. And they likely chose the asphalt formulation appropriately given that they’re in the middle of a desert.
- squarefoot 4y agoI would expect their asphalt being a lot harder and more heat resistant than the one that let my motorcycle fall multiple times in the past years because it melt during summer heat. I clearly wouldn't expect airplanes wheels to "sink" into asphalt like my bike stand, but they need a strong grip when braking during landings which I doubt a much softer surface would offer. Not an expert though, just speculating.
- jacquesm 4y agoA softer surface would give more grip, not less. In fact it would give so much grip that it starts to adhere to the tires.
- squarefoot 4y agoYou're right of course, what I wondered was if the asphalt could become so soft that it loses consistency; some of it surely adheres to the tires, but what if it would do that by detaching from the runway? However, I'm certainly biased for having seen asphalt so softened by summer heat that I could leave my tracks just by walking on it.
- Scoundreller 4y agoI’d assume rainy UK would have softer runway surfaces for wet-weather performance. Unlike car tires where people may switch them between climates/seasons, aircraft tires need to be fairly universal.