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So I used to work in aircraft maintenance (never in Russia though) and the policy is to change the brakes when there is $minimum_thickness of brake pad remainin
by nvy 3y ago
So I used to work in aircraft maintenance (never in Russia though) and the policy is to change the brakes when there is $minimum_thickness of brake pad remaining.
There's a little wire embedded in the pad and eventually as the pad wears thin the wire completes a circuit with the rotor, and lights up the aerospace version of the Check Engine Light.
The brakes on these planes certainly have some remaining life but they're technically unserviceable as per the airworthiness policy that Boeing/whomever produced as part of the approved maintenance program for these aircraft.
Whether the Russians follow that policy is another question. When I was in the Air Force we saw lots of Russian military Antonovs and they, uh, weren't in good shape.
- AndrewKemendo 3y agoHow does the wire from the removable pad couple electronically with the permanent housing? Is it like a contact plate or is there an actual m-f style plug?
- hatsunearu 3y agosome cars have this system and yes, there's a connector dangling out the back of a brake pad (more like the side, but you get the point)
- sokoloff 3y agoOn cars with the equivalent system, there’s a plug (single pin on most) and the wearing though of the sensor grounds that pin. On this page, the black cylinder is the sensor and white body is the connector: https://www.autozone.com/brakes-and-traction-control/brake-pad-wear-sensor-front/p/duralast-brake-pad-wear-sensor-wk06/296524_0_0 https://www.autozone.com/brakes-and-traction-control/brake-p...
- nvy 3y agoI'm not sure I understand the question. When the techs install a new brake assembly, the wiring harness is connected at the same time as the hydraulic system. The pad itself is never changed on the flight line. It's quicker and easier to change the entire assembly and have the worn brakes rebuilt in a second line shop.
- AndrewKemendo 3y agoAh I see, I had envisioned a pad that was replaceable like an individual brake pad on a car
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- nvy 3y agoI'm most familiar with the C-130 but I believe it's common on many types: the pad is replaceable but in order to do that you have to remove the entire brake assy, which means it's more efficient to just slap a new assy on and send the worn one to 2nd line to be rebuilt/overhauled. Often that 2nd line is subcontracted out.
- AndrewKemendo 3y ago>Often that 2nd line is subcontracted out As is tradition. Thanks for the insight
- dylan604 3y ago>the aerospace version of the Check Engine Light. why does it use such a vague light. are they afraid one more specific light for "brake pad warning" lamp will just make the cockpit untenable?
- ramses0 3y agoPilot can't go out and replace the brake pad on the tarmac. Technician busts out the ODB code-reader and says: "Huh, needs a new left brake pad"
- BrentOzar 3y ago> Technician busts out the ODB code-reader I assume you mean OBD (on board diagnostics), not Ol Dirty B*stard, who has a very different set of codes.
- dylan604 3y agoI have a bad habit of typing CVS when saving tabular data even if it's not the inventory of my local pharmacy
- doctor_eval 3y agoI went through a period of typing cvs instead of svn…
- progman32 3y agoGiven this info, the pilot could prepare for brake failure.
- nvy 3y ago>why does it use such a vague light. I was just being cute. There are typically very precise warnings and indications.
- mlyle 3y agoThere's a big light-- master caution, and then you can go and look at EICAS or whatever and see something like "R BRAKE FAIL" and wear data.
- kjs3 3y agoWhether the Russians follow that policy is another question. Most of the times in my heavy travel days that I thought "do I really want to get on this deathtrap", it was Aeroflot.