Laboratory Test and Evaluation of a Graphite Epoxy Aircraft Wheel.
Abstract
This report is a detailed description of the laboratory testing of a graphite epoxy aircraft wheel that was designed to fit a Type III, 7.00-8 aircraft tire and withstand the unbraked loads imposed on the A-37B aircraft main wheel. The tests conducted range from the initial pressurization tests to long duration dynamometer slow roll tests. The wheel performed extremely well in these tests and achieved a total of 5,165 roll miles before it developed fatigue cracks. This is more than three times the number of miles required by the MIL-SPEC qualification requirements for the comparable metal wheel. Since this wheel is the first of its kind and only one wheel was tested, several pictures were taken to closely document the appearance of the composite structure throughout the test. The wheel was instrumented with several strain gages and data were taken for various conditions. The strains measured are converted to stresses for a two dimensional orthotropic material. These stresses are then compared to the interaction curves developed using composite lamination theory and the maximum allowable strain criteria. This report is written for a reader who may be completely familiar with the theory used to characterize composite material structures. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1976
- Accession Number
- ADA031966
Entities
People
- Gerald C. Shumaker
Organizations
- Flight Dynamics Laboratory